Customs boss, Hameed Ali issue: Senate’s rift with Presidency deepens

THE conflict between the Senate and the Presidency is set to deteriorate upon the Senate’s rejection of the appeal by Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, to forget the order given to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd).

According to Vanguard, the Clerk of the Senate, Nelson Ayewoh, has been directed to write Malami to officially reject his claim that the Senate does not have right to summon Ali upon the excuse that the Ali has gone to court to halt the Senate from forcing him to appear in uniform before it.

This follows as the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday, April, 2, 2017, announced that is has resolved to get involved in the unending rift between the Executive and the legislators, saying a meeting had been slated between the party’s National Working Committee, NWC, and it’s Senate caucus tomorrow.

Hameed Ali

APC also cautioned of awful action against mischief-makers who might disrupt its resolution adventure.

A source who is a top official in the Senate said, yesterday, the resolution to reject Malami was upon the claim that it would set negative result that could in the imminent open the Assembly to rulings that could stop it from executing its constitutional duties.

Recall that Malami had in a letter dated March 21, 2017, sent a letter to the Senate through the clerk, directing the Senate pulse, further actions against the Customs C-G as the matter had been moved to court.

According to the AGF: “I wish to formally intimate you that I am in receipt of a letter dated March 20, 2017, wherein I have been served with an originating summons in respect of the above subject matter (copy attached).

“In line with the principles of rule of law, Court decisions or most importantly, the declarations sought have been deeply rooted in the constitutional provisions; I hold the view that this matter is sub-judice.”

The court action came as a result of Senate instruction on Ali to appear before it in a proper uniform to clarify the commission’s practice of impounding old vehicles with irregular Customs papers.

The Legislature had upon seeing the letter coupled with the failure of Ali to appear before it, passed a resolution requesting President Muhammadu Buhari to sack him on the assertion that he was not good enough to hold public office.

Confirming the Senate’s refusal of Malami’s claim that the Senate cannot debate on the matter as Ali has gone to court, the senior official said: 

“Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has mandated the Clerk of the Senate, Nelson Ayewoh, to write a letter to the Attorney – General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, that the letter he wrote on the issue of the Customs Comptroller-General, Hameed Ali, is not tenable in law in accordance with the principle of separation of powers.

“If the Senate honours the letter written to the Senate by the Presidency, it would serve as a bad precedence in the country where anyone could wake up tomorrow and drag the Senate to court anytime things do not go his or her way.

“The Senate in the letter will make Malami know that no arm of government can be stopped from performing its constitutional duty.

“For instance, a case has not been allotted to any judge or a  restraining order, therefore, does it mean that anyone can just file a case and the Attorney- General can say that the Senate should stop it?”

APC to meets Senate caucus on Tuesday

However, as a way to kill the tensions between the Presidency and the senate, the APC National Working Committee (NWC) will meet tomorrow with the party’s caucus within the Senate.

Speaking about tomorrow’s meeting, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi who is the party spokesman, stated that the party is working on building on the peace process earlier started by President Buhari who instituted a team headed by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo to also intervene in the crisis.

“The Party reiterates its commitment to ensure that the relationship between the two critical arms of government improves further, and commended the National Assembly leadership for its maturity and pre-disposition to have all the issues resolved as quickly as possible in the interest of the party and the nation as a whole.

“The party, however, warns that it would not hesitate to take appropriate action against any member whose utterances or behaviour are capable of jeopardizing the peace initiatives or further worsening the existing situation.”  Abdullahi stated.

The Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins, had yesterday begged the Presidency and the Senate to shield their arms, ponder on the interest of the citizenry and resolve the present conflict between them.

Martins made the plea in Lagos after the inauguration of St. Joseph’s Medical Centre and a guest building put up by congregations of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Gowon Estate, Egbeda.

Preceding the inauguration of the projects that worth N77million, he conducted the sacrament of Confirmation on 785 youths from the Ipaja Deanery.

The Rev. said that the brawl between both arms of government was not necessary and could alter the growth of the already deteriorating economy and the whole Nation itself.

“Indeed the present face-off that we can see here is certainly not helping the good of the nation. People are suffering all kinds of deprivations, our people are having all kinds of difficulties, more than ever before, we are having people frustrated so much as to commit suicide.

“This is becoming more and more prevalent among us, and therefore, one expects that they will bring all their energies together in order that it will improve on the economy, in order to improve on the welfare of the people.

“So, we just want to continue to ask them not to forget that they have a duty to serve the people given to them by God, because God is the source of all power if they occupy that position today, it’s because God willed it and they are going to give account one day.

“Therefore, they should do it with the best of intentions and with the best of desires, one thing that is important is to say is that whatever the case may be, the common good, the good of the people ought to be the primary factor in the relationship between every arm of government.

“If the senate is doing its work purely for common good not because of some selfish reason, or in retaliation for what it sees another arm of government has done, then whatever he is doing must be good.

“But if it’s in retaliation for whatever another arm of government has done or with not a good clear conscience, then obviously, there is something evil about that,”Martins said.