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Senate Insists On Customs Boss Appearances, Today

The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Col Hammid Ali (rtd) has informed the Senate that he can not appear before Upper Chamber today as scheduled
The CG in a letter signed by an assistant Comptroller General of the Customs to the Senate yesterday informed the law makers that the date given to CG to appear before the Senate over the retrospective duty payment on vehicle coincided with the management meeting of the Customs.
The letter also requested the Senate to reschedule the meeting for another date.
Senate who spoke on the contents of the latter described the actions of the CG as brazen disrespect for the institution of the Senate while the Senate unanimously resolved again that the CG must appear before it unfailingly as scheduled in his appropriate uniforms.
The Law makers also noted that the integrity of the Senate is being tested, stating that the CG Customs excuses were no acceptable.
Confirming the Senate’s resolution, the Senate President Bukola Saraki ruled that the Custom boss is still expected to appear today in the Upper Chambers in full Customs uniforms by 10.30am
The Acting Chairman of EFCC, Ibrahim Magu is also scheduled to appear before the Sente for screening today.
At plenary, the president of the senate also read a letter from Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo requesting for the amendment of the FCT 2016 Appropriation Act
Meanwhile, the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service, Hameed Ali,yesterday evening held a closed-door meeting with Senate President Bukola Saraki, hours after it appeared a showdown was imminent between the Senate and the retired army colonel.
“He (Mr. Ali) has come and gone,” a Senate President’s office insider told newsmen at 6:40 p.m.
Earlier on Tuesday, Mr. Ali had written the Senate, notifying the lawmakers of his intention not to appear before them as scheduled because he had to attend a customs management meeting slated for Wednesday, same day he was expected at the Senate.
But the lawmakers passed a resolution, reaffirming last Thursday’s decision that Mr. Ali must appear in uniform by 10:30 a.m, today.
But afterwards, he wrote a second letter, this one directly to Dr. Saraki, spokespersons for the Senate President confirmed.
The Cable exclusively reported the content of the second letter which informed the Senate President of the decision to review the policy on vehicles without duty payment, but recommended legal opinion on the compulsion to wear uniform to appear before the Senate.
The Cable reported, quoting Mr. Ali’s letter: “May (I) respectfully refer to your letter dated 9 March and inform Your Excellency that the decision on payment of customs duties by vehicle owners who do not have them as prescribed by law is currently being reviewed. The goal of the review is to take a broad additional input from the stakeholders and the public. I will welcome the opportunity to avail the senate of our findings.
“Regarding to wearing of uniform, I wish to advice that the senate avails itself of the legal basis of its decision to compel me to wear uniform. I am similarly taking legal advice on this issue so that both the senate and I will operate within the proper legal framework.”
The new development is strongly suggestive of Mr. Ali’s readiness to appear before the Senate tomorrow, but he is very unlikely to appear in uniform.
According to our source, the meeting with Dr Saraki was to “water the ground” ahead of his appearance tomorrow.
“He will appear but he may not wear uniform,” said the source. “Then, as you can see he has said the service is reviewing the policy on duty payment.”
Our correspondent gathered that President Muhammadu Buhari prevailed on Mr. Ali to appear before the Senate as scheduled, stressing that he does not want further executive-legislature friction.
Presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina, declined comment on the president’s intervention.
But Customs’ spokesperson, Joseph Attah, informed our correspondent that his principal was involved in “further communication” with senators about the stand-off.
Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi, Abuja
News
I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
News
RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
News
Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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