Ali must appear in Customs uniform for planning to collect duties on vehicle imported in 2015

Nigeria Senators have demanded the appearance of Customs boss Ali before it in Uniform. Colonel Hameed Ibrahim Ali,retired since being appointed customs boss has refused to wear the official uniform of the agency. Many have seen this as the inter agency rivalry in which military personnel see paramilitary unit as inferior. Ali has been engaged in silent war with the senate shunning their directives to suspend the proposed vehicle duty ultimatum due to begin on April 12.

The Senate ordered Ali who has refused to wear Customs Uniform to come to the Senate unfailing Wednesday in proper Uniform and not Babaringa or Kafta. The decision of the Senate was sequel to a point of Order by Senator Dino Melaye, APC, Kogi West.

The Senators who spoke on the agency’s plans to collect duties on old and new vehicles already in the country, however condemned it, saying that such a directive goes contrary to the law establishing the agency.

According to the Lawmakers, the proposed policy was not only illegal, but lacked, what it termed, common sense, even as it said that policy which will not work, only exposed pure incompetence on the part of the agency.

It will be recalled that the Senate had on Tuesday asked the Customs boss to maintain the status quo until he appeared before the relevant committees of the Upper chambers to explain why such a retroactive policy at this time. But the Customs on Wednesday at a press briefing said there was no going back on the decision which angered the Senate.