Senate asks Customs boss to appear in uniform
The Senate has asked the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Hameed Ali to appear before its panel in full service uniform.
Coming under a point of order, Senator Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi) said Ali has been disregarding the Senate, especially on the issue of not wearing Customs uniform.
Melaye said “We have asked this man in the committee why he is not wearing the rank of Comptroller General, and he said uniform men don’t wear uniform twice. I asked under which law, and I educated him by reminding him that he retired as a colonel and that General Hananiya retired as a general.
“Hananiya was appointed as the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps and he wore promptly and daily the uniform of the commission. If that position is a rank and you are not wearing that rank, it means you are not even proud of the Nigerian Customs.”
Senators were angry that Hameed Ali was trying to disobey a resolution they unanimously reached over plans by the Customs to impound vehicles without duty, with some lawmakers calling for his removal.
Melaye prayed that “the Senate resolves as follows: that we invite the Comptroller General of Customs to appear in plenary and in uniform to either justify or falsify this statement. If after his appearance he insists that he said it, then I will recommend him for psychiatrist test.”
The date for the appearance was fixed as next Wednesday. The prayers of the motion were unanimously adopted by Senators.
Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, said recent activities of Customs have been a source of concern to the Senate, saying as lawmakers, it is their responsibility to maintain peace and avoid anything that could breach it.
The NCS said it will honour the invitation by Senate to ýprovide adequate information on the directive of vehicle dealers paying Customs Duty on models from 2015 downward.
The Public Relations Officer, Mr Joseph Attah at a briefing on Wednesday said the Customs will provide information which will make the National Assembly understand objectives of the directive.