Angered by the refusal of Hameed
Ali, the comptroller-general of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) to
appear before them today, Wednesday, March 22, senators are reportedly
contemplating invoking a warrant of arrest against him.
Hameed Ali (right) when he visited Bukola Saraki recently
Ali
wrote to the Senate on Tuesday, March 21 intimating the chamber of his
decision to shun their invitation because of the legal dimension the
issue between him and the legislators has assumed.
Ali
was disgraced recently when he honoured the invitation of the senators
because he refused to wear the uniform of the customs service which he
heads. He was then asked to report today in uniform.
The
Nation is reporting that the Senate has insisted Ali must appear before
it as no court can stop it from carrying out its statutory functions.
One Mohammed Ibrahim, a lawyer is seeking the court for interpretation concerning the issue between Ali and the Senate.
“Somebody has sued us. It is
subjudice. I have got my writ of summons and they said status quo ante
should remain, which means nothing should move until the court makes a
pronouncement,.
“A private
individual sued all of us; he wants an interpretation of the section
that is in contention. I don’t want to talk so that I am not held in
contempt of court.
“Based on
the advice from lawyers and briefing from the office of the
Attorney-General and minister of Justice who is also a party in the
suit, I won’t be appearing before the Senate tomorrow until the court
decides otherwise,” Ali had told journalists on Tuesday.
Speaking
on the development, the chairman of the Senate committee on media and
public affairs, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, confirmed that the AGF indeed sent
a letter.
“There is a communication, although I have not seen the content. So, I won’t be able to make any categorical comment on it,” he said.
He also insisted that the court had no power to stop the Senate from conducting its constitutional duty.
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