Senate-Customs face-off: Ali in secret meeting with Saraki

By Taiye Odewale with agencies report
Abuja

The Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service, Hameed Ali, Tuesday evening held a closed-door meeting with Senate President Bukola Saraki, hours after it appeared a showdown was imminent between the Senate and the retired army colonel.
“He (Mr. Ali) has come and gone,” a Senate President’s office insider told PREMIUM TIMES at 6.40 pm.
Earlier yesterday,  Ali had written the Senate, notifying the lawmakers of his intention not to appear before them as scheduled because he had to attend a customs management meeting slated for Wednesday, same day he was expected at the Senate.

But, the lawmakers passed a resolution, reaffirming last Thursday’s decision that Ali must appear in uniform by 10.30 am tomorrow.
But afterwards, he wrote a second letter, this one directly to Saraki, spokespersons for the Senate President confirmed.
The Cable exclusively reported the content of the second letter which informed the Senate President of the decision to review the policy on vehicles without duty payment, but recommended legal opinion on the compulsion to wear uniform to appear before the Senate.

The Cable reported, quoting Ali’s letter: “May I, respectfully, refer to your letter dated 9 March and inform Your Excellency that the decision on payment of customs duties by vehicle owners who do not have them as prescribed by law, is currently being reviewed. The goal of the review is to take a broad additional input from the stakeholders and the public. I will welcome the opportunity to avail the senate of our findings.

“Regarding to wearing of uniform, I wish to advice that the Senate avails itself of the legal basis of its decision to compel me to wear uniform. I am similarly taking legal advice on this issue so that both the Senate and I will operate within the proper legal framework.”
PREMIUM TIMES gathered that President Muhammadu Buhari prevailed on. Ali to appear before the Senate as scheduled, stressing that he does not want further executive-legislature friction.

Presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina, declined comment on the president’s intervention.
But, Customs’ spokesperson, Joseph Attah, informed PREMIUM TIMES that his principal was involved in “further communication” with senators about the stand-off.
Earlier report had it that the embattled Customs helmsman in a letter signed on his behalf by an Assistant Comptroller-General, Headquarters, Azarema Abubakar, addressed to the Clerk of the Senate, Nelson Ayewoh, requested for postponement of his appearance before the Senate today on the grounds of internal management meeting of the Service.

The letter read: “I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter number Nass/CS/8S/R/09/29 March 9, 2017, on the above subject matter.
“I am further directed to inform you that the date given to the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Wednesday, March 15, 2017, to brief the Senate in plenary on the retrospective duty payment of vehicles in Nigeria as coincided with the fortnight meeting of the NCS management.

“Consequently, the comptroller general is humbly requesting for a new date from the distinguished Senate.”
Irked by the CG’s excuse as contained in the letter, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, asked senators to comment on it.
First to speak was the Senate Leader, Senator Ahmad Lawan (APC, Yobe-north), who faulted the letter on two grounds.

First was the reason given by the Customs CG which, according to him, was not cogent in any way because according to him, the management meeting cited by the Customs CG as reason for his not wanting to appear before the Senate today is a mere routine exercise that should not take precedent over the Senate’s invitation and, secondly, not writing and signing the letter by himself, but by a subordinate inconsequential to the issue at hand and not known to the Senate.
“First, the excuse for not appearing tomorrow is because it coincided with routine Fortnightly meeting of the management of the Nigerian Customs Service. My opinion is that, that does not take precedence on the invitation by the senate.

Secondly, the letter was signed by someone else not the CG. Mr. President distinguished colleagues, my opinion is a letter coming to the senate from the customs especially an invitation was written for the Customs boss to appear here, he should have taken personal interest write that letter and signed it that would have given my judgement some sense of respect for the institution not for us,” he said.

Though the Senate Leader tried to give the Customs chief soft landing by appealing to the Senate to oblige him his request since according to him, two wrongs do not make a right, but Senator James Manager (PDP Delta South) on behalf of other Senators kicked against the leader’s plea by declaring that Ali’s request should not be entertained since it was empty and highly insulting to the Institution of the Senate.

“I disagree with my leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan, with the greatest possible respect if the CG had written and signed by himself and then going further if he had established personal contact with the president of the senate through the chairman of the senate committee on customs then that will have been understandable. But, the man asked somebody else to sign this letter to the senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which is very insulting”.

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