UNIFORM SAGA: Resign Now, Senate Tells Customs Boss, Hameed Ali

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Hameed AliThe senate has called for the resignation of Hameed Ali, comptroller-general of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

The senate also declared Ali unfit to hold public office and condemned a letter written by Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation (AGF).

 

Malami in the letter told the lawmakers that the comptroller-general could not appear before the lawmakers because the matter of his uniform was in court.

The resolutions of the upper legislative chamber was sequel to prayers moved by Enyinnaya Abaribe, senator representing Abia south.

The resignation demand comes barely 24 hours after the All Progressives Congress (APC) announced its intervention in the row between Ali and the senate.

 

Ali fell out with the lawmakers after he was summoned to explain the rationale behind customs directive that vehicle owners should pay duty on their cars. The senate asked him to appear before it in uniform on March 8, but he failed to honour the invitation on the ground that he had a management meeting.

 

Not satisfied with the reason, the senate issued a warrant mandating Ali to appear on March 16, and he honoured the invitation this time around, but in civilian attire.

 

This irked the lawmakers who sent him away and ordered him to return in uniform at 10am on March 22.

But, on Tuesday, Ali told state house correspondents that he would not be at the senate, citing advice from the attorney-general of the federation as the reason for his decision.

 

He said that he had written to the senate on the development, explaining that a case had been instituted in the court on the matter.

He said the AGF wrote to him, asking him and all parties to stay action on his summon to appear at the senate in uniform, pending the determination of an originating summons filed by one Mohammed Ibrahim.

 

Truly, he did not appear even though he was listed as the fourth item on Wednesday’s order paper.

 

Prompted by his seeming disrespect, senators went into a closed-door session at exactly 10:32am.

 

-TheCableng