Customs Policy: Senate Shouldn’t Have Escalated Ali’s Uniform Issue – Saraki
Senate President Bukola Saraki[/caption]
Senate President, Bukola Saraki has said the Senate was supposed to have submerged the uniform issue surrounding the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ali (retd.), as it was pedestrian, compared to the main issue for which he was summoned.
The senate president, who made the statement during an interview with Daily Trust, said that it was unfortunate that the uniform narrative overshadowed the policy issues for which Ali was summoned.
According to him, the main reason why the Senate summoned the Customs boss was because of the unfavourable policies being proposed by the service.
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Recall that the Customs Service policy entailed impounding any vehicle imported into the country over the last seven years for which no import duty has been paid.
The service said the policy would generate more revenue and improve security across the country.
The policy, which sparked off swift reactions from Nigerians, prompted the Senate to direct the NCS to suspend it.
Saraki said: “I think that was an issue in which we allowed an unimportant issue to overshadow the more important issue. That was unfortunate.
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“Our job in parliament is to look at the interest of Nigerians. That policy introduced by customs is very bad and is coming in very difficult times and it needed a review. That was the main issue. Unfortunately, the narrative of the uniform was given more prominence.
“As at today, I’m not even sure whether that Customs policy is still in force or has been suspended. All anyone remembers is the issue of the uniform. I think we all have a role to play here in not allowing some of these pedestrian issues to submerge the more substantive issues. The advice we gave him was to suspend this action and carry out more consultation, and let’s talk about other ways in which customs revenue can be increased.
“The issue of whether he can wear uniform or cannot wear uniform, that can go on until whenever but whether he is in uniform or not, let him do the right policy. This policy is not good since it affects everybody. There should be wide consultation. We are in a democratic setting and since parliament represents the people, come and explain what you want to do, why and how you want to do it.”
