The Senate has called on the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hamid Ali to appear before its Chambers fully dressed in his Customs attire following the retired Colonel’s refusal to halt a policy on impounding vehicles with no custom duty. Moving the motion under matters of urgent public importance at the plenary session of Thursday, March 9th 2017, Sen. Dino Melaye (APC: Kogi) expressed dismay that the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) had continued the policy despite a resolution of the Senate issued on March 7th, 2017 calling for its discontinuance.
Speaking in support of the motion, Sen. Olamilekan (APC: Lagos) called on the National Assembly to amend existing laws that establish independent agencies to ensure that its heads are subjected to confirmation. He also noted that the “high-handedness” of the Comptroller General must be addressed following his refusal to put on the official uniform of the agency in a prior investigative hearing of the Senate. The Comptroller General has been scheduled to appear before the Senate on Wednesday, March 15th 2017.
It will be recalled that the Senate at its plenary session of the said March 7th 2017, resolved to invite the leadership of the Nigerian Customs Service to appear before its Committee on Customs to clarify the rationale behind its policy. However, in response to reports that the Comptroller General failed to respect the Senate’s resolution for the discontinuance of the policy pending his appearance before the Committee, the Senate has adopted a firmer stance by summoning him before the Chamber.
