The crisis of confidence brewing between senators
and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has taken a new dimension.
The Senate yesterday summoned the NCS Comptroller General, Col. Hameed Ali, to appear before it to explain why he disregarded its directive on payment of duty on old vehicles.
Besides unanimously adopting the prayer for the Customs boss to appear in plenary, the lawmakers resolved that he must appear in Customs uniform on Wednesday, April 15.
The resolution followed a motion by Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi West) on alleged “disregard and disrespect of Senate resolution” to suspend the planned vehicle duty ultimatum due to begin on April 12.
Melaye said when he saw the front page of a national newspaper today, “initially my thought was maybe when I was sleeping this morning that there was a martial music that the military have taken over because such statement can only be made in a military government, where an individual, a parastatal, institution or an agency of government will confront the powers of the Nigerian Senate”.
