Senate Refuses to Grant Hameed Ali Audience for ‘Improper Dressing’

Customs CG: No law requires me to wear uniform House queries NCS for ban on auction of seized goods

Damilola Oyedele and James Emejo in Abuja

The Senate yesterday sent away the Comptroller General (CG) of the Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd.) for his contravention of its resolution, which ordered him to appear to explain the vehicle customs duty verification policy in the proper uniform of his rank as CGC.

He was sent away and ordered to reappear next Wednesday in uniform to explain the contentious policy, which has been suspended.

This was after several senators scolded the elderly Ali, accusing him of embarking on an ego trip by his insistence on not wearing the uniform of the Customs Service, even though he has embraced others perks accruing to the rank and office he occupies.

Ali, who appeared in a white caftan and cap with black shoes, told the Senators that he chose to appear in mufti, because there is no law that requires him to wear the uniform of the Customs Service.

He was accompanied by the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly (Senate), Senator Ita Enang and 13 officers of the NCS, all dressed in uniform.

Ali initially claimed that the letter sent to him by the Senate on Wednesday, March 15, 2017, compelling him to appear on Thursday did not mention that he should wear the uniform.

The Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the proceedings, however, countered the claim, informing him that the letter had referred to earlier letters, which specified that the CGC must appear in uniform.

“This was an official letter addressed to you in your official capacity as comptroller general. Several service chiefs and heads of paramilitary agencies have appeared before us in their uniforms.

“Leaders must lead by example, else officers would no longer wear uniforms, saying there is no law requiring them to do so,” he said.

Ekweremadu added that since the controversial policy was simply suspended, it could still come into effect at anytime.

“We would therefore still need to engage you on the propriety of the policy,” he said to Ali, and again reiterated the wearing of the uniform requirement of the resolution.

The senators then took turns to express their disappointment at Ali’s appearance without the uniform.

Senator Ibn Bala Na’Allah (Kebbi South) berated Ali for allegedly making comments deriding the Senate and saying the lawmakers should not be concerned about whether he wears a uniform or not.

“Now the Senate is not privileged to see your letter of appointment, but what is important is that you issued that circular in your capacity as the comptroller general and at all material times you have answered and acted in consonance with the office of the CG.

“Today, you are in this chamber because the Senate summoned the Comptroller General of Customs,” Ibn said.

Senator Olamilekan Solomon Adeola (Lagos West) noted that Ali’s official car bears the insignia of the CG of the Customs Service, while Ali also flies with the official aircraft of the agency.

Olamilekan drew attention to the officers who accompanied Ali into the chambers.

“Anybody can dress in mufti and call himself the CG. The comptroller general is a rank and if the rank is not here, I don’t know who is before us.

“Yes, they have identified the CG, but the question still remains and he still needs to appear before us as the full CG of Customs,” the senator argued.

Senator Magnus Abe (Rivers South East) urged Ali to consider his role as the chief image-maker of the NCS, who should work to build goodwill for the service, adding that Ali ought to be consulting public relations specialists instead of consulting lawyers.

“As long as there is no law stopping you from wearing the uniform, I will plead with you to wear it. You should have done it, if for nothing else, to make the Senate happy.

“Anything you do that will build goodwill for the service would be an addition to you,” Abe said.

Senator Wakil Ali (Bauchi South), from whose senatorial district Ali hails, disclosed that he had advised the CG to wear the uniform.

He added that while he watched Ali grandstanding on national television on the matter, the Senate should give him one more chance for the resolution to be fully obeyed.

Earlier, before admitting Ali into the chamber, the lawmakers had entered into an executive session.

THISDAY gathered that the discussion at the executive session, centered on how to handle Ali after information filtered in that he was already in the premises of the National Assembly without his uniform.

Ali entered the National Assembly at about 9.40 a.m., accompanied by Enang in whose office he waited until his admittance into the chamber.

Also, the House of Representatives yesterday mandated its Committee on Customs and Excise to investigate the rationale behind the Customs Service’s ban on the auction of seized goods which have been legally forfeited to the federal government.

The House further regretted that the NCS failed to set up the website it pledged to establish for the purpose of auctioning goods it has seized and also failed to auction goods in its custody, thereby willingly denying the federal government of N1 trillion in revenue.

The committee was given eight weeks to report back to the House and highlight whether the decision to stop the auction has caused the country any financial loss before further legislative action will be taken.

The House noted that since the imposition of the ban in 2015, there has not been any auction by the Customs Service, a situation, resulting in the proliferation of seized goods at the various formations of the Customs Service.

According to the lawmakers, top on the list of goods seized include vehicles, trucks, containers of assorted household goods, clothing materials and consumables, among others, whereas a large number of these goods had been gazetted and forfeited to the federal government on the orders of various courts in the country.

In particular, the House noted that the vehicles with Duty Paid Value (DPV) worth over N6 billion were rapidly deteriorating and depreciating in value and had naturally become habitats for reptiles, termites and even birds.