No law says I must wear uniform, Ali tells senate

Hameed Ali, comptroller general of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), says there is no law stating that he must wear uniform to honour the invitation of the senate.

On Thursday, Ike Ekweremadu, deputy senate president, who presided over the senate, asked Ali why he was not in his uniform, and he responded by saying there is no law that compels him to do so.

Bala Ibn Na’Allah, senator representing Kebbi south, said the letter sent to the senate by Ali on not wearing his uniform is derogatory.

Na’Allah cited sections seven, eight and 10 of the Customs Act, which states that the customs shares same privileges with police and other institutions, which includes wearing uniforms.

Afterwards, the senate went into a debate on whether or not to grant Ali audience, majority supported the idea of Ali appearing in uniform.

So the upper legislative chamber asked Ali to reappear in customs uniform on March 22.

Ali had initially refused to appear before the senate but TheCable learnt that President Muhammadu Buhari asked him to do so.