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The many controversies of Hameed Ali

The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Hameed Ali is into disagreement with the Senate over protocol-related matters, again.

Ali, who was visited by the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Waste, at the Customs headquarters in Abuja, was accused of not following formal protocols of engagement, by not receiving members of the Committee, when they arrived at the premises, rather than meeting them at the conference room.

The Chairman of the Committee, Dino Melaye, said the protocol was over the years, a standard practice of statutory bodies like Immigration, Prisons, among others and Customs is not an exception.

“Before reading the prepared speech of the committee, let me make this small remark on what we have just observed here in form of breach of protocols.

“Mr CG, rather than meeting us here at the conference room by way of courtesy, you supposed to have met us at the ground floor on arrival into the premises.”

But countering the accusation, Ali said the Nigeria Customs Service is a servant of the people who believe in Nigeria and working with others to make it great without being railroaded in any way.

“We have our own protocol as regards receiving visitors like you. I don’t need to come downstairs to receive you just as nobody in the Senate or House of Representatives has ever come out to receive us anytime we visit the National Assembly.”

This is not the first time the Senate has had issues with the CG over matters many commentators considered inconsequential. As there was a long Uniform battle which started in February 2017 when the Senate Committee on Customs and Exercise Duty asked Mr. Ali why he is on mufti 2 years after becoming Custom Boss.

Mr. Ali’s response irked the Senates as he said he does not wear Customs uniform because he is retired from the Army and the rules of the military does not allow him to wear the uniform of any other organisation. Pictures of Minister Ali doing just that in the course of Buhari campaign however surfaced on the internet.

At the end of the session which was called to find out why Mr. Ali sacks custom officials without the permission of the custom Board, the Senators asked him to go and sew a uniform.

In March 2017, Ali was ordered to appear before the Senate over Customs’ planned clampdown on vehicles that have no duty clearance.

It also specifically stated that the Customs boss should be on appropriate uniform when he does.

Ali initially wrote a letter to the Senate stating that he would not be able to appear as he had a Customs management meeting already slated for the same day.

Members approved a vote called by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to reject Mr. Ali’s letter, and therefore mandated him to make himself available on the scheduled day he was called.

He also stated in an interview that the Senate should be concerned about his performance rather than his appearance as he was not “the Comptroller General to wear uniform.”

“Am I doing my job or not? I think that’s what should interest the National Assembly.”

He finally appeared before the Senate in a mufti and cap, defending his actions, by stating that no law compels him to wear uniform.

He was however countered by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremandu who stated that Section 2 of the customs law provides that all officers, including Comptroller-General, must wear uniform.

“As number one officer, you should lead by example.” 

The Senate further resolved that he should appear again in uniform in the next meeting, but he has not presented himself since then.

According to sections 7, 8 and 10 of the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA), “for the purpose of carrying out or enforcing the provisions of the customs and excise laws, all officers shall have the same powers, authorities, and privileges as are given by law to police officers”

The Customs Act is silent on wearing uniforms, as customs officers, but the link with the police may be interpreted to mean that an officer should don the uniform for official duties.

However, the Act defines an “officer” as “any person employed in the Nigerian Customs Service, or for the time being performing duties in relation to customs or excise”. By this definition, Ali is the number one officer at NCS, and officers wear uniforms.

Ali was appointed as the Comptroller General of Customs by President Muhammadu Buhari on August 27, 2015.

By July 2016, Premium Times reported that Ali flew first class from London in direct violation of President Buhari’s instruction to public officers to not fly first class. A first-class ticket to and from London costs $11,423.23 (about N3.4million).

In December 2016, he shunned Senate’s one day public hearing on the repeal of Customs and Excise Management Bill.

Same December 2016, he blasted SSS Boss, Lawal Daura, describing him as unprofessional. The SSS had written the President a Memo complaining about how Mr. Ali introduced $25,000 TIP levy on some containers and how it was illegal and unreceipted for.

Hameed Ali served as Military Administrator of Kaduna State, from August 1996 – August 1998 during the regime of General Sani Abacha.

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