The Senate has asked the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), retired Colonel Hameed Ali to appear before it in uniform next week Wednesday.
This followed a unanimous resolution by the legislators after the Customs chief appeared before them without his uniform.
Ali was accompanied to the Chambers by President Muhammadu Buhari‘s Senior Special Assistant, National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang on Thursday.
The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the plenary on Thursday, asked Ali why he did not wear his uniform.
READ MORE AFTER THE CUT..................................
Ali
replied, saying the last letter he received from the Upper Chamber did
not state that he should wear his uniform. He added that there is no law
against him not wearing uniform.
Ekweremadu told Ali that the
second letter served as a reminder of the first letter to him, in which
it was stated that he should appear before the Senate wearing his
uniform.
Members of the Senate condemned Ali’s decision, and after
a voice vote, Ali was told to return on Wednesday, March 22 wearing his
uniform.
Ali was first summoned by the senators over the new order by the Customs Service for all old vehicles to pay their customs duty.
Customs offered a 60 per cent rebate for vehicles from 2015 below.
The
comptroller-general had approved one month grace (from March 13 to
April 12) for all Nigerian vehicle owners who have not paid duties to do
so or face outright seizure of the vehicles.
Ali had in an interview,
said he was not employed to wear uniform, saying that what the senators
should be worried about is whether he is doing his job.
As the battle between the customs chief continued, the agency, in a statement suspended its decision to continue with implementation of the policy.
Photo Credit: PUNCH
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