Connect with us

Politics

Ex-Gov Umar explains why Senate is against anti-graft war, Customs boss Ali

Published

on

Ex-Gov Umar explains why Senate is against anti-graft war, Customs boss Ali

A former military governor of Kaduna State, Col. Abubakar Umar, has called on Nigerians to support the efforts of public officers committed to their duties and not allow the present Senate, which he accused of being a clog in the wheel of anti-corruption fight have their way.

Citing the recent face-off between the Senate and Customs Comptroller General Hamid Ali, as one of the ways the lawmakers seem to be sabotaging the anti-graft war, Umar explained that the problem started after the Customs seized a huge consignment of rice imported by a company owned by an influential member of the Senate.

The company owned by the influential Senate member he said, had declared the rice as yeast in a bid to avoid paying the appropriate import duty on the rice.

He said the same senator is the brain behind a company involved in the controversial $34million Calabar port dredging contract.

According to Umar, the way and manner the Senate responded on those issues and many others seem to suggest that Senators “might be on a mission to crash the federal government’s war against corruption using the power of ‘oversight’ as cover.”

He therefore called on Senate President Bukola Saraki to call to order senators who are stepping out of line especially those in the Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariffs.

He gave as example, the Senate Committee handling matters concerning the Nigeria Ports Authority and the Customs which, he said leaves room for suspicion.

Nigerians he said, must actively support Comptroller-General of Customs, Hamid Ali, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Hajiya Hadiza Bala Usman, and a former BPP DG, Emeka Nzeh.

“Incidents such as these are the reason the Nigerian public feels let down by our Parliament. They are the reason why a whole lot of Nigerians take a dim view of members of the National Assembly.

“Some even believe the conduct of our legislators is a major factor holding Nigeria down; why it is a laughing stock among the nations of the world. It is the duty of all Nigerians to demand correct conduct from all public officials, including from members of the National Assembly; especially the Senate.

“Senator Bukola Saraki, the Senate President, must enforce discipline among his colleagues. No member of a committee, much less a chairman, should remain in his duty post once credible information about possible crime is received on the person.

“We need not remind our political leaders, most of all our legislators, that punishment always follow excess.
“There are good reasons why Nigerians should take more than a passing interest in the controversy generated by the actions of members of the Senate Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariffs and that of the Nigeria Ports Authority.

“If the reports in the media are true, the matter goes beyond the victimization of one organ of government by another.”

Giving more insight on how the Senate humiliated Col. Hamid Ali (rtd), he said the problem began with the October/November, 2016, importation of 1,200 metric tons of rice in thirty, 40-foot containers by a rice trading company owned by an influential senator.

“The goods were later intercepted and seized on the orders of the Comptroller-General of Customs. Unfortunately, this seemingly patriotic action by a public officer was seen as an affront to one senior member of the National Assembly.

“A Senator, the leader of the Senate Committee on Customs, Excise & Tariff, wrote the CGC demanding that the consignment be released forthwith, on the dubious claim that he had investigated the matter and had found the importer blameless. His findings? That it was the clearing Agent not the importer that called the goods ‘yeast’ instead of ‘rice’!

Read also: Buhari’s 90TH DAY IN UK: Osinbajo can’t perform fully, PDP laments

“The CGC brushed aside this incredible story; as any right thinking person would do. But to the shock of all Nigerians, all hell broke loose. The Senate Committee then summoned him to appear before them in uniform- seeing that as a retired army colonel, the CGC had refrained from wearing the Customs uniform.

“He was also directed to answer a long list of queries by this same angry panel. In the end, he was dragged before the Senate at plenary, put through a cruel inquisition, publicly humiliated and dismissed as ‘not fit to hold public office’.

“Fast-forward to last week.
“This time, a dubious scheme was uncovered in which a subsidiary company of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), went into a joint venture with a private company to manage the Calabar Port.

“Both the NPA subsidiary, called Calabar Channel Management (CCM) and the private company, Niger Global Engineering & Technical Co. Ltd, were incorporated together in 2014, just for this deal. The purported JV partner was then awarded a contract to dredge the Calabar Channel; a contract the Bureau of Public Procurement was to condemn as violating all due processes.

“This did not discourage them from demanding and getting a whopping $12.5million upfront payment from the NPA or asking for a purported balance of $22million.

“In the meantime, a rash of petitions and reports had inundated the NPA against this contract, with many alleging it to be a bogus scam to siphon public funds.”

 

RipplesNigeria ….without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now