News
Go, Come Back In Customs Uniform, Senate Tells Ali
As the seemingly ego battle between the Nigerian Senate and the Comptroller General of Nigerian Customs Service Col. Hammed Ali (rtd) rages , the Senate yesterday ordered the CG to leave the Chambers over his refusal to appear before the Senate in Customs Uniform.
The order to leave and come back ‘properly dressed came alongside verbal trashing and lectures on obedience from the Senators who took turns to address the.CG .
Recall that the Senate had summoned the CG of Customs to appear in chambers last Wednesday in full customs uniforms indicating clearly his ranks, to defend the new policy of the agency regarding vehicle duty.
Recall also that the Cusoms boss wrote the Senate indicating that he would not be able to honour the invitation on Wednesday because he was to chair the NCS management meeting .
Though the Senate insisted on the date, Col Ali did not appear and Senate had to issue warrant of arrest and his compulsory appearance.
Customs CG, Ali who appeared in white Caftan with cap to match having been ushered into the Chambers by the Special Assistant on National Assembly (Senate) , Senator Eta Enang was quickly reminded of the resolution that he was to appear in uniform.
Reacting to this insistence by the senate that the CG customs said there was no law compelling him to wear uniform, particularly as a former Military officer, adding that car import duties policy has also been suspended for now.
His words “Mr. President, Distinguished Senators, I received the letter to appear before you in Uniform, but I have seen from the point of law, that am not bound to wear Customs uniform. More so, we have decided to suspend car import duties for now”.
Reacting to the CG’s responses the Deputy Majority Leader, Senator Bala Ibn N’allah referred him to the Acts establishing the Nigeria Customs Service and insisted that he must appear in Uniform.
According to him, the issue would have been resolved peacefully but for the manner in which the CG reacted and claimed that he was not employed to wear uniforms.
He made reference to Section 7 (2) and Section 8 of the Customs and Excise Act and insisted that the law requires the CG to wear uniform.
His words “The law requires you to wear uniform. We understand the intention of Mr. President but this senate is not an institution that can be put to disrepute.”
Contributing, Senator Jibrin Barau said, it was clear in the command and control of Customs Service that uniform is sacrosanct, suggesting that he should be asked to go and get his uniform before addressing the Senate next time.
Senator Adeola increased the gear when he said that he was finding it difficult to identify the guest in the Chambers as anybody can appear in mufti and claim to be Comptroller General.
He insisting that Ali must go back and get his uniforms first in accordance with the motion that summoned him.
Senator Ali Wakili, a former Customs officer, described as needless, grandstanding between the Senate and the Customs on point of uniform , urging that he should be allowed to mediate particularly as’ amicus curris’ of the Customs.
“Mr. President, Distinguished Colleagues, as a former Customs officer and now a Senator, I will always strike a balance between my position now and then. To borrow a word from lawyers, I am an ’amicus currier of Customs, I want the Senate to allow me mediate”, Wakili pleaded.
Senators George Sekibo referred the CG to relevant sections of the Nigerian Constitution which implies that persons and institutions are to hold on high esteem ‘ Authorities and institutions of government’,
He noted that the Senate is a representation of the entire Nigeria and at that the disobedience to Senate directives should not be tolerated.
On that note Senator Sekibo moved a motion for the CG to leave and comeback next week Wednesday.
Senator and other senators who spoke on the issue were of same opinion and the Lawmakers endorsed the motion that the CG should Go and come back properly dressed in NCS Uniform.
Senator Magnus Abe also used the opportunity to remind The CG Customs that the NCS has refused to release a bus donated to Rivers State ; and Ogoni People by an International Donor Agency .
The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu who presided over plenary in a word of advice to the CG, noted that as number one image maker of the Service , he ought to live by example. He therefore ruled in favour of the motion that he should appear on Wednesday March 22 in Nigeria Custom Service uniform.
Meanwhile, Protesters ask C-G to step down, commercial activities were, yesterday, grounded at Fegge Area of Onitsha following a peaceful protest by Coalition of Civil Society of Nigeria, COSCON, against the directive by Ali.
The protesting groups, drawn from Anambra, Edo, Rivers, Imo Enugu and Abia State converged on Achebe Mini Stadium, Fegge, Onitsha, displaying placards with inscriptions as: “Ali must resign”, “Col. Hameed Ali, blame your officers not Nigerians”, “Hammed Ali, we are in a democracy, not military rule” ,”Ali is tired, he should go,” among others.
The protesting CSOs, led by Anambra State convener, Mr. Uzor A. Uzor and his Edo State counterpart, Mr Omobunde Agho, chanted anti-NCS songs, and marched from the Achebe Mini Stadium to NCS Area Office, along Asaba Enugu expressway to register their grievances against Col. Ali and the NCS.
Addressing newsmen, Coordinator General of Edo State CSOs, Mr. Omobunde Agho, his Anambra State counterpart, and Chairman Campaign for Democracy, CD, Uzor A. Uzor, in their respective speeches, urged the National Assembly to curtail the alleged excesses of Col. Ali, who they accused of having no respect for the lawmakers and Nigerians.
Agho said: “Ali is behaving as if he is a law unto him and making harsh policies in NCS to further impoverish the poor masses who have gone through economic hardship caused by recession.
“Corruption has eaten deep into the Nigerian Customs Service, and Col. Ali with his new policy, is creating more avenues for his men to be more corrupt. With his new policy, they will subject Nigerians to untold intimidation, harassment and extortion.”
Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi
President Bola Tinubu has ordered a security outreach to the hotbeds of recent killings in Plateau, Benue and Borno States, to restore peace to areas wracked by mass killings and bomb attacks.
National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, disclosed this to State House correspondents after a four-hour security briefing with the President at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja on Wednesday.
“We listened and we took instructions from him. We got new directives…to go meet with the political authorities there,” Ribadu told reporters, adding that Tinubu directed them to engage state-level authorities in the worst-hit regions.
Director-General, National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed; Chief Defence Intelligence of the Nigerian Army, Gen. Emmanuel Undianeye; Director-General, Department of State Services, Oluwatosin Ajayi and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, appeared for the briefing.
The Tide’s source reports that in Plateau State, inter-communal violence between predominantly Christian farmers and nomadic herders spiralled into gory slaughter when gunmen stormed Zikke village in Bassa Local Government early on April 14, killing at least 51 people and razing homes in a single night.
In Benue, at least 56 people were killed in Logo and Gbagir after twin assaults blamed on armed herders.
Meanwhile, in Borno State, eight passengers perished and scores were injured when an improvised explosive device ripped through a bus on the Damboa–Maiduguri highway on April 12.
Ribadu explained that after an extensive briefing, intelligence chiefs received fresh instructions to restore peace, security and stability across Nigeria.
“In particular, Tinubu had ordered immediate outreach to the political authorities in Plateau, Benue and Borno States, and the defence team had gone round those States to carry out his directives and report back.
“We gave him an update on what has been the case and what is going on, and even when he was out there, before coming back, he was constantly in touch. He was giving directives. He was following developments, and we, in charge of the security, got the opportunity today to come and brief him properly for hours. And it was exhaustive.
“We listened and we took instructions from him. We got new directives. The fact is, Mr. President is insisting and working so hard to ensure that we have peace, security and stability in our country. We gave him an update on what is going on, and we also assured him that work is ongoing and continues.
“We also carried out his instructions. We went round, the chiefs were all out where we had these incidents of insecurity in Plateau State, Benue State, even Borno, these particular three states, and we gave him feedback, because he directed us to go meet with the political authorities there,” the NSA explained.
Ribadu described Tinubu as “worried and concerned,” and said he directed that all security arms be deployed around the clock.
The government, he added, believes these steps have already produced measurable improvements, even if the situation is not yet 100 per cent safe and secure.
“He’s so worried and concerned, he insisted that enough is enough, and we are working and to ensure that we restore peace and security and all of us are there. The armed forces are there, the Civil Police, intelligence communities, they are there.
“They are working there 24 hours, and we feel that we have done enough to believe that we are on the right course, and we’ll be able to be on top of things,” Ribadu stated.
The NSA emphasised that combating insecurity was not solely a Federal Government responsibility.
He stated, “The issue of insecurity often is not just for the government. It involves the subunits. They are the ones who are directly with the people, especially if some of the challenges are more or less bordering on community problems.
“Not entirely everything is that, but of course it also plays a significant role. You need to work with the communities, the local governments, and the governors, especially the governors.
“The President will continue to direct that. We should be doing that, and that’s what we are able to. We are very happy and very satisfied with the instructions and directives given by Mr. President this evening.”
In Borno State, the NSA noted that while violence had surged in recent months, the insurgents refused to accept defeat.
He warned that most recent casualties there resulted from improvised explosive devices—”cowardly” IED attacks targeting civilians—and from opportunistic raids that follow any lull in fighting.
“We are getting the cooperation of the leadership at the state level, and everybody. It’s not 100 per cent…but we are going there.
“When you are having peace and you are beginning to get used to it, if one bad incident happens, you forget the periods that you enjoyed peacefully,” he added.
He paid tribute to the “many who do not sleep, who walk throughout, who do not go for any break or holiday”—the soldiers, police and intelligence officers whose sacrifices have created the fragile calm Nigerians now experience.
“They will continue to be there,” he said, adding, “Things have changed in this country…we are on the right track and we will not relent. We will not sit down; we will not stop until we are able to achieve results.”
A Federal Government agency – the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, has decried the low patronage of Nigerian-made products by Nigerians.
The agency identified some challenges leading to the low patronage of the local products as affordability and public perception, among others.
Speaking during a stakeholders meeting organised by the agency in Akure, Ondo State capital, yesterday, the Deputy Director of Engineering at NASENI, Mr Joseph Alasoluyi, said Nigerians preferred buying foreign goods compared to local goods.
Alasoluyi, however disclosed that the agency had trained over 50 participants in the production of hand-made products, in a bid to ensure Nigeria-made products are patronised.
He explained that NASENI was set up to promote science, technology, and engineering as a foundation for Nigeria’s development and currently operates 12 institutes nationwide to achieve its objectives.
According to him, the aim of President Bola Tinubu, who is also the overall chairman of NASENI, was to ensure high production and patronage of “our local products thereby creating employment opportunities for many.”
He said, “The idea of this programme is to interface to ensure we produce products using our indigenous technology. This is what NASENI is out for, to ensure that homegrown technologies are encouraged.
“We are out there to ensure we integrate efforts to ensure that local technology is used to develop products within the resources we have.
“ The NASENI’s ‘3 Cs’ – Creation, Collaboration, and Commercialisation – that define NASENI’s strategic mandate: Creating innovations through research, Collaborating with partners to develop and refine products, and Commercialising these solutions to benefit the economy.
“Our achievements include the development of solar irrigation systems, CNG conversion centres, building machines capable of producing up to 1,000 blocks per hour, 10-inch tablets, locally made laptops, and electric tricycles (Keke Napep) set for market launch.”
In his remarks, the Deputy Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Prof. Samuel Oluyamo, blamed the Federal Government for not properly funding research in the varsities, also noting that many research outputs were left halfway due to lack of funding and weak linkages between research institutions and industry.
Oluyamo also queried the Federal Government’s commitment to funding research and development, saying many academic innovations remained on the shelve due to a lack of support for commercialisation and poor infrastructure.
“Until we upscale research into mass production, technological growth will remain elusive. The government is not funding research in the universities enough. Thank God for TETfund that is trying in this regime. The major interest in beefing up research in universities and research institutions is really not there,” he said.
The Director-General of the Debt Management Office, Patience Oniha, has said that Nigeria is in advanced discussions with JP Morgan to re-enter the Government Bond Index and renew investors’ confidence.
Oniha disclosed this on Wednesday at a Nigerian Investors’ Forum on the sidelines of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C.
The DMO boss explained that Nigeria has enjoyed favourable credit assessment among rating agencies in recent times on the back of the sweeping reforms initiated by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Fitch Ratings recently upgraded the Long-Term Issuer Default Ratings of seven Nigerian banks and two bank holding companies to ‘B’ from ‘B-‘, noting that the outlooks are Stable.
The affected issuers are Access Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, United Bank for Africa Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Limited, Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, First HoldCo Plc, First Bank of Nigeria Ltd, Fidelity Bank Plc and Bank of Industry Limited.
The upgrades of the Long-Term IDRs of the banks followed the recent sovereign upgrade and reflect Fitch’s view that Nigeria’s sovereign credit profile has become less of a constraint on the issuers’ standalone creditworthiness, the rating agency said.
Fitch also upgraded Nigeria’s Long-Term IDRs to ‘B’ from ‘B-‘ on 11 April, a decision that reflected increased confidence in the government’s broad commitment to policy reforms implemented since its move to orthodox economic policies in June 2023, including exchange rate liberalisation, monetary policy tightening and steps to end deficit monetisation and remove fuel subsidies.
“These have improved policy coherence and credibility and reduced economic distortions and near-term risks to macroeconomic stability, enhancing resilience in the context of persistent domestic challenges and heightened external risks,” Fitch said.
Nigeria was removed from the JP Morgan index in 2015 ostensibly due to its deviation from orthodox monetary policies and influence of capital control in its management of foreign exchange.
Principally due to reduction in oil revenues at the time, Nigeria introduced currency restrictions to defend the naira after it failed to halt a dangerous slide with burning of dollar reserves. The bank had earlier warned Nigeria to restore liquidity to its currency market in a way that allowed foreign investors tracking the index to conduct transactions with minimal hurdles.
“Foreign investors who track the GBI-EM series continue to face challenges and uncertainty while transacting in the naira due to the lack of a fully functional two-way FX market and limited transparency,” the bank said in a 2015 note.
Nigeria was listed in JP Morgan’s emerging government bond index in October 2012, after the Central Bank removed a requirement that foreign investors hold government bonds for a minimum of one year before exiting.
The JP Morgan Government Bond Index reflects investor confidence and opens doors to billions of investment flows, making Nigeria’s proposed re-entry a positive signal to the market and investors.
Oniha explained that talks with JP Morgan were ongoing and had gained momentum in recent times due to the stability created by the FX market reforms.
“With all the reforms that have taken place, particularly around FX, we have started engaging JP Morgan again to get back into the index. We think we are eligible now,” the DMO DG said.