Falana Berates Senate For Customs Boss’ Summon

Hamilton Nwosa
Writer

Ad

Nigeria’s 2030 Ascendancy: A Roadmap to Global Power Through Visionary Leader

By Sonny Iroche Introduction Nigeria, with its 230 million people, the largest population in Africa, and vast natural resources, stands at the threshold of transformative potential. Achieving global power status by 2030 would mean not just economic dominance (e.g., a $1 trillion GDP, up from, $450 billion today) but also military strength, technological leadership, and…

N5.7bn contract: EFCC gets order to detain Sujimoto CEO

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has secured a court order to detain the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of Sujimoto Luxury Construction Limited, Sijibomi Ogundele, over alleged N5.7billion unexecuted contract. Ogundele is facing investigation following his alleged failure to deliver 22 Smart Green School projects in Enugu State after his company was reportedly paid…

Brent Hits $67 After Primorsk Strike

The Russia-Ukraine war is back on the agenda as ICE Brent futures jumped up to $67 per barrel after Ukrainian drones attacked Russia’s Primorsk port, a key Baltic Sea loading terminal for its crude and product flows. With the Trump administration strengthening its pressure on the EU and others to implement secondary sanctions on India…

Ad

More reactions continue to trail the summoning of the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Colonel Hammed Ali (rtd), who was asked to reappear before the Senate in appropriate uniform on Wednesday, March 22.

This time, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Femi Falana, in a statement condemned the summoning of Mr Ali by the Senate.

He said although the Senate should not be treated with disdain, but the Upper Chamber should have appreciated the limit of its powers under the constitution.

According to the senior lawyer, instead of playing into the hands of the Customs boss by invoking the provision of Section 88 of the Constitution, the Senate could have summoned the Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, to justify the policy of the Nigeria Customs Service, a parastatal under her supervision.

“No power exists under the section for general investigation, not for personal aggrandizement of the House. So the appellants were not entitled to have invited the respondent in the first instance,” Mr Falana said.

He noted that the Senate was not conducting an investigation but challenging the policy of the Service on payment of duties.

“With respect, the summons served on the CGC (Mr Ali) is illegal and unconstitutional as it cannot be justified under Section 88(2) of the Constitution”, he stated.

The lawyer stressed that the Senate engaged in another illegality when it exceeded its powers by asking the CGC to appear before it in customs uniform.

He added that neither the constitution nor the rules of procedure of the Senate has conferred on the Upper Chamber, the power to compel Mr Ali to wear Customs uniform when he is not a serving customs office.

Mr Falana said the directive was a reckless usurpation of the powers of the board which was the only competent body to decide on the wearing of uniform by Customs officer.

He noted that the Nigeria Customs Service should be directed by the Minister of Finance to cancel the illegal policy on payment of appropriate excise duties.

The senior lawyer stated that if the Federal Government fails to do so, he will challenge the policy at the Federal High Court.

This followed the uproar that trailed the Customs’ directive that duties be paid on imported vehicles.

While Nigerians expressed concerns on the issue, their representatives in the Senate were livid over the insistence of the Nigerian Customs Service to go ahead with the policy.

Although Mr Ali honoured an invitation by the lawmakers, the Senate refused to engage with him for his failure to wear the Service’s uniform as earlier directed.

The lawmakers consequently asked Mr Ali to reappear before them on Wednesday in appropriate uniform.

Ad

Unlocking Opportunities in the Gulf of Guinea during UNGA80
X whatsapp