Putting on customs uniform will belittle Hameed Ali - David Jemibewon

David Jemibewon, who is a retired major general, has claimed that Hameed Ali is a fine military man and should not demean himself with customs uniform

Jemibewon says putting on customs uniform will be a step backward for someone who has worn the uniform of a member of the Armed forces

Rtd. Major General David Jemibewon

However, former aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, says Ali was arrogant to have snubbed the Senate’s order to appear before legislators in customs uniform for an update on a controversial proposed plan on payment of duties for old vehicles

David Jemibewon, who retired as major general and also a former governor of defunct Western state, has said the request by the Senate that the comptroller-general of Nigeria Customs Service (CGC) appears before it in service uniform senators was needless.

According to Premium Time, Jemibewon defined Hameed Ali, a retired colonel, as a fine military man who ought not to belittle himself with the agency’s uniform, Premium Times reports.

Jemibewon, who once served as the minister of police affairs, said he would have quit if anyone had forced him to wear police uniform as a minister.

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

“There was no way anybody could have compelled me to wear uniform. I would have resigned,” Mr. Jemibewon said. “Even if the law said so I would have resigned.”

However, Jemibewon’s stance on the matter is in dissimilar to what happened when a former customs chief was appointed outside the agency in related way as Ali wore uniform.

Bello Haliru had said the instant he was appointed, he turned into a career customs officer.

Bello Said: “I knew I must comply with all rules and regulations of the organisation I am leading and that included wearing a uniform.”

Likewise, Haladu Hananiya, an ex-corps marshal of the Federal Road Safety Commission, put on uniform of the commission after his selection by former president, Olusegun Obasanjo.

This was in spite of the fact that Hananiya retired from the Nigerian Army as a major-general, years before his appointment to the FRSC.

When the above cases when thrown to the retired major General,, Jemibewon, commended the humbleness of Bello Haliru and Haladu Hananiya but maintain his ground.

Jemibewon also never denied that he unawareness on what Customs rules and regulations stipulate, but maintain that an Army officer should overhead a Customs’ uniform.

He said: “The highest patriotic body in any country in the world is the Army...You don’t expect someone who has risen to that position in the Army to wear customs uniform.

“Here is a man who has excelled in his military career and you’re asking that one to wear Customs uniform? I don’t see how that will ensure competence and efficiency."

However, a former aviation minister Femi Fani-Kayode has ridiculed the travails of the Customs boss, Hameed Ali at the Nigerian Senate.

Recall that Fani-Kayode tweeted, on Sunday, March 19, 2017, that Hameed Ali was egotistical to have overlooked the Senate’s order to appear before legislators in Customs uniform for a briefing on a controversial proposed plan on payment of duties for old vehicles. 

He said, he should have listen to the lawmakers.