By Teddy Nwanunobi
Abuja (Sundiata Post) — Following his refusal to appear before the Senate on Wednesday, as directed by the Upper Legislative Chamber, the Red Chamber, on Wednesday, declared the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Col. Hameed Ali (rtd.), “as unfit to hold public office”.
Consequently, the lawmakers have called for Ali’s resignation from office.
The Senate is also asked the Customs boss to cancel the retroactive policy on duties for vehicles with immediate effect.
The lawmakers argued that “duties should only be collected on point of entry”.
Those were some of the prayers that were adopted by the Senate, after Ali failed to comply by appearing before it as directed.
The Senate had, on Thursday, asked Ali to appear before it on Wednesday by 10 a.m. in his Customs uniform to explain the rationale for directing that vehicle owners should be paying duty on their cars.
The senators, who were prompted by Ali’s seeming disrespect by refusing to appear before the Senate as directed, went into a closed-door session, apparently to assess the situation, and make a resolution at around 10.30 a.m.
Emerging from the closed-door session, the lawmakers resolved as follows:
1) That Nigeria Customs Service is urged to cancel the retroactive policy on duties collection immediately. Duties should only be collected on point of entry;
2) Senate condemns AGF Abubakar Malami for trying to stop Senate from performing its constitutional duties;
3) That Senate do hereby declare CG Hameed Ali as unfit to hold public office. Calls for his resignation from office;
4) That a letter containing all resolutions attached should be written to the presidency; and
5) That the resolutions be sent to House of Representatives for concurrence so as to ensure it will be a National Assembly decision.
The senators had, on Thursday, turned back Ali from their chamber for not appearing in uniform, and rescheduled his appearance to Wednesday, with definte position that he should appear in Comptroller-General of Customs uniform.
Ali (in white cap) arriving the National Assembly last week
The Senate had, first, invited him to appear before it on March 8 to brief it on the proposed policy for payment of Customs Duty by vehicles owners, no matter the age of the vehicle.
However, Ali did not 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.
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 (AGF) as reason for his decision.
He said that he had written to the Senate on the development, explaining that a case had been instituted at 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.