Senate, Customs face-off deepens over duty on old vehicles, CG summoned

The face-off between Senate and the Nigeria Customs Services over vehicles duty policy deepened on Thursday as the Red Chamber mandated the Comptroller-General, retired Colonel Hammed Ali, to appear before it in his appropriate uniform on March 15.
The Senate had on Tuesday asked the Customs to suspend‎ its planned enforcement of vehicles duty payment and ordered Ali to appear before its Committee on Customs.‎
However, the Cus‎toms on Wednesday at a meeting with automobile dealers, said those in possession of old or new vehicles without Customs duty payment should take advantage of the one-month grace window to pay up and enjoy a 60 per cent rebate across board for vehicles of 2015 model and below.
At the resumption of pf plenary on Thursday, Senator Dino Melaye, who came through a point of order, called the attention of the Senate to the statement credited to the NCS on Wednesday.
Melaye said Customs’ comment on the policy after the Senate resolution is a blatant disregard to the institution of the Senate.
Speaking on the refusal of Ali to wear uniform after he was so directed by the Senate, Melaye informed the Senators that at the committee level, the CG was asked why he has refused to wear the NCS and to which he replied that uniformed men ‎don’t wear uniform twice.
According to Melaye: “When the committee asked him under which law, ‎the Customs CG failed to give the committee the exact law that back up his decision.
“I want to believe that government exists to serve the people and not the people in government‎ and if we have taken a position in the interest of the Nigerian people and an institution of government will so disrespect and disparage the Nigerian Senate, then it is wrong.”
Other senators who spoke expressed dissatisfaction with ‎the policy of the NCS on the planned enforcement of vehicles duty payment.
In his comment, the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, expressed dissatisfaction with‎ refusal of the Customs to respect the Senate’s resolution and failure of the Customs CG to wear uniform.