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THE Senate has ordered retired Hameed Ali, a retired colonel and comptroller-general of the Nigerian Customs Service, NCS, to appear before it at 10 a.m. on Thursday, March 16, or face an arrest.

The order was given in a resolution which followed Ali’s inability to appear before the Senators today, Wednesday, March 15, as requested by the lawmakers.

The lawmakers’ resolution was premised on Section 89 of the Nigerian Constitution.

The order also followed Ali’s letter to Bukola Saraki, president of the Senate, and read to the senators during the plenary session on Wednesday. In the letter, Ali said: “The decision for payment of customs duties by vehicle owners who do not have them as prescribed by law is currently being reviewed.

“The goal of the review is to take a broad additional input from stakeholders and public on this aspect.

“I will welcome the opportunity to unveil our findings on the way forward to improving our capability to block major drainages in the nation’s economy without adding to hardship and within our mandate.”

On the order that he should appear in Customs’ uniform, Ali advised the Senate to avail itself of the legal basis for its decision.

“I am similarly seeking legal advice on this issue so that both the Senate and I will operate within the proper legal framework.

“I regret my inability to answer the Senate’s invitation owing to the recent bereavement. I will, however, make myself available whenever I’m needed in future,”Ali said.

After the letter was read, the matter was debated among the senators. Consequently, George Sekibo, a senator from Rivers State, reasoned that the issue before the Senate was a constitutional matter. He said: “Instead of coming through oratory, our duty is to direct him to come and if he refuses, we issue a warrant and compel him to come.”

Thus, Sekibo moved a motion that the Senate applied the provisions of Section 89 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) ordering the C-G to appear before it on Thursday.

The motion was seconded by Ike Ekeremadu, deputy president of the Senate, who said the matter was not about the C-G of Customs but about the laws and Nigerians.

“It is about harassing the ordinary people in the street on matters that do not concern them. If you import rice and I buy, it is not my business if you paid import duty or not on the rice. So, I think the C-G of Customs has to come and brief us.”

Thus, Saraki said: “The action that we have taken in my view would have been easily avoided if these institutions respect the laws and constitution that we all have sworn by.

“Nobody is above the law. So, the C-G of Customs must make himself available on Thursday and make his case.”

The Senate had on Tuesday, March 14, mandated Ali to appear before it in the appropriate uniform even as he sought for permission to be absent.

—  Mar 15, 2017 @ 16:00 GMT

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