BREAKING: Customs CG, Hameed Ali, honours Ekweremadul-led Senate plenary in mufti
*Says ‘No law mandates me to wear uniform’
*Tell Nigerians if uniform compulsory for CGC, Senate told
The Comptroller-General, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), on Thursday honoured a Senate plenary presided over by Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu.
Ali, a former military Governor of old Kaduna State, appeared in mufti instead. He had been compelled by the Senate on to appear in customs uniform.
But Ali, who was ushered into the Senate chamber at about 12pm, said he did not put on uniform because the Senate resolution of Wednesday did not compel him to do so. He went to say however that no law also compels him to wear uniform while discharging his duties as the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service.
Opposing his stand, Senator Ibn Na’Allah stated that it was derogatory for the Customs boss to give such reply to the question by presiding Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu who wanted to know why he did not appear in uniform.
Ibn Na’Allah, citing sections 7, 8 and 10 of the Customs Act, said customs shares the same privileges with police and other security institutions.
Senator Jubril confronted the Customs boss and told him to apply the law of the land by wearing the customs uniform before addressing the senate.
The Senate however asked the CGC to return on Wednesday Marcy 22 in uniform urging him as chief executive of the paramilitary agency to lead by example.
It is however a noteworthy that of the two Senators, Ibn Na’Allah and Jibril, who confronted CGC Col. Hameed Ali during the plenary, no one pin-pointed where the law mandates Col. Hameed Ali to wear uniform in the discharge of his duties as Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service.
A source in Lagos however told The DEFENDER Thursday evening that the Senate should make itself clear beyond sections 7, 8 and 10 of the Customs Act cited by Senator Ibn Na’Allah.
“Yes, agreed according to the that these sections state that customs shares the same privileges with police and other security institutions. What the Senator and his colleagues including the Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu who presided over the plenary have not done is to speak straight to the point as to which part of the sections mandates the Customs CG to wear uniform. If it is compulsory for him to wear it, we shall put mouth to let Ali know that.
“But is it uniform we need to know now or the new policy on vehicles importation that Nigerians want to hear him explain before the Senators?” The source, who spoke under condition of anonymity, said.
