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Ali must go – CSO

The current face-off between the Senate and the Comptroller- General of Customs, Col. Hammed Ali (rtd), over commencement of now suspended post-importation duty payment, especially on vehicle, are issues currently spurring agitation for his removal. But, even as the crisis festers, there are indications that the CGS would defy the Senate on Wednesday and return to the National Assembly in mufti instead of the Customs uniform as directed and damn the consequences.

Top sources said Ali, a lawyer from military intelligence, unlike former Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Commission, Major- General Haladu Hananiya, (rtd), who wore FRSC uniform, will justify his action. Only last week, a peaceful demonstration by a Coalition of Civil Societies of Nigeria grounded Fegge Area of Onitsha, Anambra State commercial capital, over Ali’s directive on payment of Customs duty.

The group, led by Mr. Uzor A Uzor and Comrade Omobunde Agho, drawn from Anambra, Edo, Rivers, Imo, Enugu and Abia states, converged on the Achebe Mini Stadium Fegge, Onitsha, with placards with inscriptions including ‘Ali Must Resign’, ‘Col. Hameed Ali blame your officers not Nigerians’, ‘Hameed Ali we are in democracy not military rule’, ‘Ali is tired he should go’.

Leaders of the protesters: Mr. Omobunde Agho, and his Anambra State counterpart and Chairman Campaign for Democracy, (CD) Uzor A. Uzor, urged the National Assembly to curtail the excesses of Col. Ali, whom they accused of being disdainful to them and Nigerians.

Comrade Agho, in an interview with Sunday Telegraph in Benin, the Edo State capital, carpeted the Custom boss for what he described as the “obnoxious and inhuman policies and programmes of the body” following the controversial ban on importation of vehicles through the country’s land borders. Omobude specifically condemned the action of Ali and the NCS for demanding that owners of cars that are within 10 years to pay duties as a way of raking in revenue for the nation.

He said such policy issue should be channeled through the National Assembly.”It is not in the position of the Comptroller General of Custom to come up with revenue policy for the nation. He has not told Nigerians what his interests are”.

Besides, he stated that, “It is only at the point of entry that Customs duty would be paid on goods and not when it is already in the hands of end users. Anything short of these things I have mentioned for me is criminal.

It doesn’t hold water at all and these are our anger”. He further blasted the Custom CG for the erroneous assumption that Nigerians are still in military era, instead of democratic practice, adding that because Ali is from the background of the military, he does not understand what the tenets of democracy are.”

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“The man should honorably resign and the Federal Government should know they have put the wrong peg in the right hole, the man should be fired so that he can go and face his military activities. He cannot bring in military rule now there is democratic practice in place. The man should vacate the office and allow those who are rising from the ranks to occupy the position,” he added.

The Coalition of Civil Society of Nigeria has said that their recent demonstration in Onitsha Anambra State was to draw the attention of Nigerians and international community to the inability of the Federal Government to adequately guarantee the safety of Nigeria’s economic stability due to the endemic corruption tendencies that has eaten deep into the fabrics of the nation’s economic social and political system.

Agbo described the statement of the Nigeria Custom Services boss as an indictment. He said, “The statement is a clear indictment on the Nigeria Customs. It means the Customs had over the years not been doing their job. Ali deserves immediate sack and must go.”

His Onitsha, Anambra State counterpart, Mr. Dede Uzor, said Ali should tender an unreserved apology to Nigerians. “He is a misfit and has shown Nigerians that he is incapable of heading the Nigerian Customs Services.

While Nigerians are struggling every day and night to cushion the effect of the economic hardship, Ali was trying to impose more hardship on Nigerians. He should resign honorably or be disgraced out of office”. Mr. Ken Henshew, who represented the Port Harcourt chapter of the organisation, was of the view that Ali was not fighting corruption but …has the audacity to disobey the National Assembly and even President Muhammed Buhari cannot save him.

New Telegraph

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