CG Customs Service shuns court order

The Saga between the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ali (retd.) and the Senate is no where close to the end as the Comptroller-General re-affirmed that he would not honour the invitation extended to him by the Senate to appear on Wednesday in uniform.
He said his attendance at the Senate plenary as scheduled by the federal lawmakers would be subjudice.
Ali spoke with State House correspondents shortly after emerging from the mosque located beside the President’s office inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The Customs boss who was wearing a white kaftan jokingly told the reporters that the kaftan is his uniform.
He said he had received the writ of summons from the case instituted by a concerned individual on the matter.
Ali said, “The case is in court already. Somebody has sued us. It is subjudice.
“I have gotten my writ of summons and they said status quo should remain ante which means nothing you move until the court makes a pronouncement.
“A private individual sued all of us, he wants an interpretation of the section that is in contention.
“I don’t want to talk so that I am not held in contempt of court.”
Senators had on Thursday attacked Ali for honouring their invitation without wearing uniform.
They therefore asked him to return on Wednesday in complete Customs uniform.
According to the Senators, since Ali is not a sole administrator; he has to dress as Customs CG to appear before them because anybody can wear a mufti and claim to be the NCS boss.

Ali however told the lawmakers that he has no knowledge of any law that compels him to wear the agency’s uniform.

He had said his letter of appointment did not ask him to wear uniform.

Source : ( Punch Newspaper)