You’re Unfit To Be Customs Boss, Senate Tells Col Ali
The Senate on Wednesday declared that Col Hameed Ali (retd) was unfit to occupy the position of the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS).
The senators, who spoke at plenary today, carpeted the former military administrator of Kaduna State, saying he was wrong to have approached another arm of government to put a halt on another arm of government’s effort not to perform its constitutional duties.
Speaking, Senator Dino Melaye said that the court process, as commenced by Col Ali, cannot stop any arm of government from carrying out constitutional duties.
The Kogi senator explained that the position of the CG is a rank occupied by a civil servant, and that Hameed Ali “is not fit to be the CG of Customs” because, according to the civil service rule, he has passed the civil service retirement age.
Senator Abaribe from Abia recalled that Ali had enacted an obnoxious policy, and the current face-off the senators are having with him is getting him to come before the upper chamber and explain this policy. He condemned NCS boss for rushing to the court to secure a deliberate injunction.
Senator Olujimi said the action of the Customs boss was a breach of the constitution and a display of crass arrogance.
A maritime lawyer, Muhammed Ibrahim, had filed a lawsuit on Monday at a Federal High Court in Abuja challenging the order by the upper chamber of the National Assembly that the Customs boss should appear before it in uniform. The lawyer had written to the Senate “to stay all actions in the matter” to allow the court case to be concluded first.