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Order Customs boss’ appearance in service uniforms next week
From Fred Itua, Abuja
Barely 24 hours after the Nigerian Customs Service (NSC) declared that there was no going back on the proposed vehicle verification programme, which may lead to owners of old vehicles paying fresh duties, the Senate has given the Comptroller-General of the NSC, Col. Hameed Ali, a date to appear before it, in service uniform.
The Senate had, on Tuesday, asked the Customs to suspend the implementation of the new policy, pending Col. Ali’s appearance before senators to explain reason behind it. The next day, the Customs addressed the press, insisting that the policy would take off as scheduled.
During yesterday’s plenary, visibly angry senators figuratively declared war on Col. Ali, summoning him to appear before them next Wednesday, wearing service uniforms.
The senators want the Customs boss to explain why he has chosen to flout a resolution passed on Tuesday by the Senate, wherein it instructed the NSC to stop the implementation of a proposed plan to collect duties on old and new vehicles in the country for now.
Senator Dino Melaye, relying on Order 42 yesterday, called the attention of the Senate to what he termed the absolute disregard to the resolution of the Senate by the Customs.
Referring to a lead story carried by Daily Sun yesterday, Melaye argued: “When I saw the front page of today’s The Sun, initially my thought there was a martial music that the military had taken over. This is because such a statement can only be made in a military government where an individual, a parastatal, institution or an agency of government, will confront the powers of the Nigerian Senate.
“Mr. President, democracy is standing on three legs. One of the most important legs of democracy is the legislature and Nigerian Customs cannot function without the National Assembly. This is because they cannot spend or survive without appropriations and oversight and if this Senate takes a resolution and an agency of government will have the temerity to blatantly disregard the entire institution of the Nigerian Senate, it is a very dark day for democracy.
“I am a member of the Customs committee and I want to educate some of us today on the position of the Comptroller-General of Customs. It is a rank and as I speak today, we have deputy Comptroller-Generals of Customs. Their next promotion, if it comes to being, is Comptroller-General of Customs and we have asked this man (Hameed Ali) in the committee why he does not wear the rank of a Comptroller-General and he said uniform men do not 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. He was appointed as the Corp Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Commission. He wore the uniform promptly and daily.
“However, we will need to check this properly if Customs officers will now start checking duty certificates on Nigerian roads. I will not be affected because if the President is coming, no Customs men will stop him to ask him for his papers. The Customs officers will only salute and he will pass. If a senator is passing, nobody will stop him to ask for Customs papers.
“But we are doing it in the interest of the Nigerian people and they have now confronted the institution of the Nigerian Senate. We must, therefore, 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 a psychiatrist test.”
Melaye’s position was supported by Senator Solomon Adeola, who urged his colleagues to put a stop to the flagrant disregard to resolutions passed by the Senate or the National Assembly.
He said: “I think it is high time we, as a Senate, put a stop to the level of high-handedness of the Comptroller-General of Customs. Long before now, I have been looking and waiting for an opportunity like this, where I can express my feelings about the activities of the Nigerian Customs. The Comptroller-General of Customs is looking or carrying out the affairs of this agency as if he is the managing director or the Commander-in-Chief of this country.
“The issue of uniform, as raised by Melaye, is an issue that has been bothering my mind. It is an insult to the Nigerian Customs if you are the head and you say you cannot wear their uniform. You take salute and parade, wearing ‘agbada’ and I strongly feel this is an insult to the institution of the Customs agency.”
Senator Kabiru Marafa, on his part, warned the Customs CG not to push Nigerians to the wall. He said under a democratic setting, the Customs cannot flout a resolution passed by the Senate.
Marafa said: “It appears the Customs Service has already formed an opinion to push Nigerians to the wall and I think that cannot be allowed to happen. When they are approached, these are the kinds of publications you see.
“The Customs needs to know that they are under the people of Nigeria and Nigeria is under a democratic rule. We have been elected into office by the people and we have a duty to protect the people of Nigeria and this kind of impunity cannot be allowed to continue. This is one issue that all Nigerians are unanimously against. It is condemnable and we cannot allow it to see the light of day.”
Senate Leader, Ahmad Lawan, urged the NCS CG to put his house in order and ensure that borders are well-policed to avoid smuggling of cars and other goods into the country. Lawan noted: “I believe that what we need to do is to invite the CG alone. He should come here and explain whatever it is that he intends to do first. Let me use this opportunity to send a note of caution. Recently, we received reports that some heads of agencies and possibly ministers do not think this legislature matters. This National Assembly matters most in this administration. Whoever, whether it is a the minister or any chief executive officer of any agencies, is invited to this National Assembly must do so, except when they have genuine reasons for such a person not to be here and that should be followed by a genuine letter to explain absence of such a person.
“I think this National Assembly should not be taken for granted and nobody should feel like we pass resolutions and say no it does not matter. I think that is taking democracy backward.”
Ruling on Melaye’s point of order, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the day’s legislative business, ordered the troubled Customs boss to appear before the Senate.
He said: “I think it’s something that is of concern to all of us and the activities of Customs lately are of concern to all of us. Part of our responsibilities, as parliamentarians, is to maintain peace and anything that will cause the breach of peace must not be allowed to stand. “The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) appeared before us and one the things he identified as our major problem is impunity. While we fight corruption, we must also fight impunity. We cannot allow impunity to take roots in this country.
“Today we are talking about vehicles that were imported many years ago, but we forget that there are beds in our rooms that were also imported and prohibited. I believe that the earlier we deal with this matter, the better for all of us.”
