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I’m not employed to wear uniform, Customs boss Ali dares Senate

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I'm not employed to wear uniform, Customs boss Ali dares Senate

Comptroller General of Customs, retired Col. Hameed Ali, on Thursday promised to honour the Senate summon but vowed he will won’t appear in customs uniform.

The Senate had on Thursday, following a motion raised by Senator Dino Melaye summoned the custom boss to appear before it in uniform to explain why Customs has not suspended its policy on vehicle duty despite the directive of the lawmakers.

The angry senators gave him March 15 to come and explain why he should order all old vehicles to pay 60 per cent rebate for vehicles from 2015 below.

But reacting in an interview with TVC, Ali, a former military governor of Kaduna State, accepted he was going to honour the invitation by the Senate but said he will never appear in uniform as the lawmakers demanded of him, arguing that he was not employed to wear uniform.

“Let me say I will appear before the Senate. With regard to uniform, certainly no. Why is it so? I was not appointed to wear uniform. I am sorry to say, I don’t know why Senate is talking about uniform.”

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Ali further argued that what should be the primary concern of the National Assembly in its oversight function, and whether he is performing his function as supposed, and not whether he is in uniform or not.

While he said he was yet to receive a letter of invitation by the lawmakers as at the time of the interview, he promised to honour the invitation if due process is followed.

“There is a procedure for inviting members of the executive to appear to the Senate. If that procedure is followed, we will abide by that procedure. No member of the executive is invited on media network, either on the television or the radio. If they follow that procedure, we will appear before them.

“Up to this moment, I have not seen any correspondence from the Senate in my office,” he said.

 

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0 Comments

  1. Margret Dickson

    March 11, 2017 at 1:28 pm

    The senate should understand it is the Comptroller General of Customs they are dealing with, he deserves some respect. He’s not a newbie in services and if they are to question him for anything, he should still be respected until found guilty of any act

    • JOHNSON PETER

      March 11, 2017 at 9:32 pm

      You are daft. Is Senate a law court? Are they calling him to prove any guiltiness or how. Read news with sense

  2. Johnson Amadi

    March 11, 2017 at 1:43 pm

    Nice reply from Col. Ali, this is not an issue of uniform but performance. By the time he gives the senate reasons the customs is yet to suspend its policies, they would know if he’s been performing or underperforming. Good he also reminded them he was not appointed to wear uniform incase they’ve forgotten.

  3. yanju omotodun

    March 11, 2017 at 3:06 pm

    Dino is power drunk but he doesn’t know that Ali is a retired military man who they can’t order anyhow. Uniform won’t answer the questions they want to ask him but his mouth.

    • seyi jelili

      March 11, 2017 at 6:32 pm

      The good thing is that no matter what the senators attempt doing, they can’t remove him. So they better watch it. I think it is high time too where executives should summon the legislatures.

      • Amaka Okoro

        March 12, 2017 at 5:29 am

        True talk so that if there is any amendment it can be solves

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