Senate berates Custom CG over sack of officers

The Senate on Thursday berated the Comptroller-General (C-G) of Customs, Col. Hammed Ali, over what they perceived as his excessive abuse of power.
The Senate, which expressed concern over the manner the Customs boss has been going about his duty without recourse to constitutional mandates of his position as the Comptroller-General queried him on the sack of officers of the service without justifiable reasons and without recourse to the board.
The mild drama, which took place during a budget defence of the Nigeria Customs Service before the Senate Committee on Customs, saw senators demanding to know why Hameed Ali has refused to wear Customs uniform.
Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi West) told the C-G that it was wrong to head an agency and refuse to be associated with its uniform. Melaye demanded to know under what law the C-G draws his power and whether he would justify the actions he takes and the directives he gives as legal and binding without the conforming to the rules of the agency.
Senator Hope Uzodinma, Chairman of the Committee, also criticized the customs boss urging him to ensure that there is a proper co-ordination of his activities with the Ministry of Finance and the Customs Board.
Ali’s apparent lackadaisical response to questions put to him by the lawmakers saw Senator Obinna Ogba (Ebonyi Central) storming out of the room with anger. Senator Ogba expressed displeasure with the C-G, especially on his insistence not to wear the Nigeria Customs uniform.
The C-G had earlier in defence of his attitude told the Senate committee that as a former military man he wouldn’t be caught wearing two different uniforms even as he insisted that he is in the service on appointment.
Ogba also spoke angry condemning Ali’s attempt to justify his sack of several custom officers, without consultation with the customs board.