The Nigerian Senate has ordered the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) to ensure that he puts on the appropriate customs uniform when appearing before its Committee on Customs and Excise on March 15th 2017 to defend the retrospective duty payment on vehicles in Nigeria.
This directive was issued at plenary yesterday by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu. He stressed the need to fight impunity alongside corruption in the Nigeria Customs Service. He added that there was need for the customs increase its efforts in securing the borders.
The senate directive to Ali followed a Point of Order raised by Sen. Dino Melaye on a publication in a national newspaper of March 9, which reads: “Customs dares Senate, says no going back on implementation of duties on old vehicles”.
Shipping Position Daily recalls that Ali had also been summoned at plenary on Tuesday to come and explain the essence of the circular he passed regarding the policy on vehicles which directed dealers and owners to go to nearest Customs office to check if they paid correct customs duties and if not, to update payment or be punished as illegal smugglers.
According to Melaye, the most important arm of government is the legislature and the Nigeria Customs cannot function without the National Assembly.
“The customs cannot spend or survive without appropriation and oversight.
“ And if this senate will take a resolution and an agency of government will have the guts and the strength to disregard the institution of the senate, it is not good for democracy,” he said.
Melaye said that government existed to serve the people and not the people in government, adding that if the senate had taken a position in the interest of Nigerians and an institution of government would disrespect the Senate, “it is unacceptable’’.
“I hope this was a misrepresentation that they did not take that position.
“This comment can only be made in a military government, where an individual, a parastatal or an institution of government will confront the power of the senate,” he said.
Sen. Solomon Olamilekan (APC-Lagos) said that there was the need to put to a stop “to the high-handedness of the Comptroller-General of Customs’’.
“The Comptroller-General is carrying out the affairs of Customs as if he is the Commander-in-Chief of Nigeria. If he cannot wear the uniform, then it is an insult to the customs,” he said.
He called on the National Assembly to amend the existing law that established such agencies to ensure that heads of the agencies would be subjected to confirmation by the assembly.
Sen. Kabiru Marafa (APC-Zamfara) said that the customs was an agency of government meant to serve Nigerians and the country being a democratic government had a duty to protect its citizens.
“This kind of impunity cannot be allowed to happen,” he said.
Similarly, the Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan said that whatever government was doing should be in the interest of Nigerians.
“We must invite the Comptroller-General to explain what he intends to do. We must not rely completely on what the Newspaper said.
He also called on the authorities of customs to come up with strategies that would stop the infiltration by smugglers into the country.
In his remarks, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu who presided over plenary said that the activities of customs lately had been of concern to all.
“Part of our responsibilities as parliamentarians is to maintain peace. And anything that will cause breach of the peace, then it is our responsibility to ensure that we stop it.
“While we fight corruption, we must also in equal measure fight impunity. We cannot allow impunity to take root in this country,” he said.
The Senate equally frowned at the alleged impunity with which the customs officers were killing innocent citizens and traders under the guise that they were smugglers.
Ogun State Senator, Sen. Lanre Tejuoso lamented that "Customs officials killed two men from my constituency; we must look into the activities of the Customs"
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