The Senate has summoned the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service(NCS), Hameed Ali, over the plan to seize vehicles without paid duty. The Senate also mandated Mr. Ali to appear before it in Customs uniform.
Recall that the upper legislative chamber, on Tuesday, had directed the Customs Service to suspend its planned action of seizing vehicles without paid duty, but the service went ahead to offer 60 percent rebate on the duty.
Senator representing Kogo state, Senator Dino Melaye, while moving a motion against the actions of the service said “The senate will take a resolution and an agency of government will have the temerity, will have the guts, the strength to blatantly disregard the Nigerian senate. It is a very dark day for democracy”.
“As a member of the customs committee, I want to educate some of us, the position of Comptroller-general of customs has a rank…. When he appeared before the committee, I asked why he does not wear uniform, and he said uniformed men don’t wear uniform twice.
“I reminded him that he retired as a colonel and that a general was appointed as the corps marshal of the FRSC, and he proudly wore the uniform of FRSC.
“We need to check this properly, we are taking a decision on behalf of the people, and an agency decides to disrespect the Nigerian senate? If they are taking duty on Nigerian roads, and the president is passing, no customs officer will stop him and ask for papers, they will rather salute him.
“The senate has resolved that we invite Mr. Ali to appear in plenary with his uniform to either justify or falsify this statement.”
After the motion was put to a voice vote, it was resolved that Ali should appear on Wednesday
