Ali And Senate’s Pursuit Of Shadows

The upper legislative chamber of the National Assembly, the Senate, has continuously been treating Nigerians to drama in the midst of economic challenges. Today, the economy is adversely affecting the exploited class in the society to the extent that many that never begged in life have been forced to do so.
The Senate, by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, is replicated after the American arrangement to exist side by side with the Federal House of Representatives in a bicameral legislature.
The overall idea is to facilitate quality legislation for the welfare of the citizenry, particularly the common man. Incidentally, the main objective of this institution has been defeated. Sadly, the huge allocations in yearly national budgets to the legislative arm of government have continued to mercilessly drain the economy. The senators are kept at ease just for marking attendances and for saying ‘yeah’ and ‘nay’.
Following the huge allowances allocated to these lawmakers, the quest to become a federal legislator has become a do-or-die affair. The legislative chambers should be for serious businesses and this can only be actualised when proficient and skilled persons occupy the seats against phalanges with egoistic and clandestine tendencies.
The unnecessary attention given to the attire of the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Colonel Hameed Ali (rtd) by the Senate in the last two weeks, despite the over-bloated  allowances allocated to themselves for law making business leaves much to be desired. Nigerians expect to see profound bills passed by the National Assembly to aid the service delivery of the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari for speedy meaningful impacts on the common man on the streets.
Even when crude oil prices which Nigeria solely depends on for revenue crashed beyond the benchmark, the lawmakers were still padding and maneuvering the budget to the detriment of the common man they are supposed to represent.
Now, the questions begging for answers from these distinguished senators are; of what value is the wearing of a uniform by a retired Colonel that is on a mere political appointment to head the Nigerian Customs Service to the nation at these trying times? Who will pay for the sitting allowances of the senators for these wasted hours on Customs CG not appearing in Custom’s uniform, which is obviously to make a mockery of a Comptroller-General in a uniform with no rank? How many people-oriented bills have been enacted since the convocation of this 8th Republic? There are so many other questions.
It is widely believed in many quarters that the uniform drama is a script designed and sponsored by some aggrieved senior officials in the Nigerian Customs Service who felt shortchanged over the appointment of an outsider to head the agency against their turn, in collaboration some principal officers of the Senate whose illegally imported cars were seized by Ali. Such cannot outrightly be ruled out on account of enormous energies devoted to this aimless supremacy fight by the Senate.
Without a doubt, the corruption which has been triumphing in the Nigerian Customs Service for many years makes it expedient for some drastic actions of such nature to be taken. It is no politics to state that a state of emergency is long overdue in the agency.
On the other hand, the current state of the nation ought to be of more serious concerns to the lawmakers, instead of pursuing self-indulgent and politically-motivated goals. By now, one expects that luxurious cars imported and used in the country by the affluent class ought to attract special tax regimes as done in America and other developed and developing nations. One also expects that by now, a bill would be in progress towards scrapping any of the two legislative arms to make it more efficient. One equally expects that by now, a bill that would prohibit government officials from enrolling their children and wards in schools abroad would have been passed, so that schools in the country will be subjected to genuine state of emergencies.
Ditto in the health sector, which would proscribe all government officials; elected and appointed, from embarking on medical treatments abroad except on exceptional cases. Above all, one expects that out of necessity, vis-à-vis the economic situation in the country, the remuneration of political office holders, particularly the jumbo allowances earned by senators and members of the House of Representatives ought to have been reviewed to revive the present wobbly economy.
Admittedly, by the ambiguous oversight functions vested in the National Assembly by the Nigerian Constitution, the lawmakers could drift into such a fight as cheap as compelling a Customs boss to wear the agency’s uniform, under the cloak of patriotism.
However, by the provisions of the Customs & Excise Management Act (CEMA) 2011 as amended, such issue bothering on the compulsory appearance of its administrative head on official uniform is alien, hence baseless and no-go area for the Senate to endlessly pursue except its rule of law is dependent on wishful thinking.
Democracy is characteristically a government based on laid down rules. In other words, while the oversight functions could allow the red chamber to issue directives extravagantly to all MDAs (ministries, departments and agencies), the respective enabling Acts like CEMA which specifically guides and determines the management and operations of the agency, will render such directives and threats ultra vires, thus, null and void.
Overall, the legislative arm must qualitatively be up and doing with know-how on its core responsibilities, instead of prioritising politics and its gimmicks at the expense of the people.
Umegboro, a public affairs analyst, writes from Abuja.

Carl Umegboro