Hameed Ali reveals why he will shun further invitation by the Senate

Hameed Ali reveals why he will shun further invitation by the Senate

After he was disgraced by the Senate recently for refusing to wear the uniform of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Hameed Ali, the organisation’s comptroller-general, has vowed to shun further invitation.

Hameed Ali reveals why he will shun further invitation by the Senate
Ali says he would not appear before the Senate as expected because of a legal advice against it

Ali was told to make himself available on Wednesday, March 22, in the official uniform of the customs service when he appeared before the senators last week. He was subsequently walked out of the chamber.

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It is learnt that Ali has now written to the Senate again on why he would not appear before them as demanded.

As the letter reached the Senate, a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja further barred Ali from honouring the upper chamber's invitation for Wednesday.

Vanguard reports that the development followed a lawsuit filed at the court by Mohammed Ibrahim, a lawyer.

The report said the writ of summons in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/207/2017, and filed before the court Ibrahim has asked that the status quo be maintained pending the determination of the matter before it.

Ibrahim argues that it was not within the powers of the Senate to dictate to Ali, who was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari, pursuant to the latter’s powers under sections 5 and 171 of the Constitution, how to conduct himself.

Reports say Ali told the Senate in the new letter that he would not appear based on the advice of the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.

He further claimed Malami wrote to him and all the parties involved with his invitation by the Senate to stay action pending the determination of an originating summons filed by Ibrahim.

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Hameed Ali said following the service of the of the summons on him, he sought legal advice and got it from Malami.

Days ago, retired major general and former governor of the defunct Western state, David Jemibewon, said the demand by the Senate that the comptroller-general of Nigeria Customs Service appears before it in service uniform senators was unnecessary.

Jemibewon described Hameed Ali, a retired colonel, as a fine military man who should not belittle himself with customs uniform, Premium Times reports.

The retired general, who once served as the minister of police affairs, said he would have resigned if anyone had compelled him to wear police uniform as a minister.

He said: “It would be belittling the position of the uniform of a member of the Armed forces."

Source: Legit.ng

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