I’m Not Employed To Wear Uniform, Customs Boss Ali Dares Senate

The 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.”

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 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.