Senators: Go and sew your uniform

Ali: I cannot wear a Para-military uniform

There is trouble brewing between senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and an appointee of Mr. President, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), Comptroller general of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS.

Members of the Senate Committee on Customs and Excise Duties have hit hard on retired Colonel Hameed Ali over his refusal to wear the uniform of the Nigerian Customs Service since 2015 when he was appointed as the Comptroller General.

This came amid a call by ‎former Comptroller‎-Generals of Customs, led by Mohammed Bello, in a separate meeting with the Senate Committee,that Ali ought to be addressed as sole administrator and not CG.

Trouble began for Ali during an interactive session with the Committee over a proposed bill of the agency.
Ali ‎was challenged during the meeting by a member of the Committee, Senator Obinna Ogba, who expressed dissatisfaction with his continuous dressing in caftan since he was appointed in 2015.

Ogba, who fired a question at CG, said: ‎”Mr. CG, we want this committee to know the reason why you are still in mufti close to two years after your appointment as the Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service.”

But the CG quickly countered Senator Ogba, saying as a former military personnel, tradition ‎does not permit him to put on paramilitary uniform.

However, another member of the Committee, Senator Dino Melaye, took on the CG.

Melaye said a ‎retired General of the Nigerian Army, Halidu Hannaniya, wore the uniform of the Federal Road Safety Corps when he emerged as the Corps Marshal.

But Ali again maintained his stand that as a former military personnel, tradition does not permit him to wear para military uniform, arguing that Hannaniya made a mistake.

Ogba, who was displeased by the response of Ali, angrily walked out the session, saying: “This is how you people keep deceiving Nigerians on wrong action and still defending it.”

Ali was also tackled by the committee over the non-composition of the Customs Board since 2015 when it was dissolved
According to the Committee Chairman, Senator Hope Uzodinma, it was wrong and infact illegal for the Custom CG alone to be promoting and firing officers without the Board in place.

Uzodinma ordered the immediate constitution of the Board.
He said: “You claim that the Minister of Finance is the on‎e delaying the composition of the board.
“This committee is writing a letter straight away to the Minister, Secretary to the Government and Attorney General of the Federation to put the Board in place without any further delay.”

After the session, the chairman jokingly told Ali: “We are releasing you to go and sow your uniform, while we continue with officials of Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of Nigeria.”