Hameed Ali: When An Individual Claims Superiority Over Nation’s Institutions

Ali

Africa Doesn’t Need Strongmen, It Needs Strong Institutions-Barack Obama

 The Comptroller-General (CG) of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) apparently thinks he is doing Nigeria a favour by coming out of retirement to head the customs. That is why he walks with unusual swagger. A swagger that shows a man that is greater than the institutions of the state. Not even the man who appointed him treats the institutions of state with such disdain. With the exception of President Muhammadu Buhari's refusal to obey court orders (disregard to legal institution) in the case of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu, El-zakzaky of Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) and ex-National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, the president has always presented his budget to the National Assembly, and when he goes on medical vacations he transfers power to the vice president by writing to National Assembly, among others. While Buhari respects the institutions of the state to a limited extent, his appointee, Hameed Ali, treats state institutions with utter disdain. Perhaps his treatment of state institutions should not be a surprise by now. Recall that after he was appointed CG of customs it took him several weeks to report to work. This got to the level where many in the media began to speculate whether he had rejected the job altogether. When eventually he resumed, it had been one issue or the other as he embarks on his so-called reforms. The latest of which is the demand for custom duties from motorists including those who bought their cars from dealers seven or more years ago, instead of restricting such demands on importers of cars or better still come up with better strategy to police our land borders to avert smuggling. And if the importers are evading payment of customs duties at the ports then it becomes his responsibility to plug the leakages at the ports. The Senate in response to the outcry of Nigerians raised a motion stopping the customs service from going ahead with its plans to be checking and demanding custom duties from motorists on the roads and streets of Nigeria. What did we get from the all-knowing CG? A statement that the policy would go ahead despite the intervention by the senate, thereby begging the question, which one is greater, Hameed Ali, a mere appointee of the president or the senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, recognised by the constitution? The senate also demanded that he appears before them wearing his customs uniform as he has refused to wear his uniform since his appointment preferring to wear mufti instead. I don't want to dwell on the disquiet in customs’ ranks and file since his appointment, as this intervention is basically to stop big men from undermining state institutions. Suffice to say that Hameed Ali is not the first retired military officer to head institutions of state. There was General Hananiya who once headed FRSC, and General Bamayi, that headed the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). The aforementioned generals wore the uniforms of the organisations while they were in charge. If retired Generals could wear the uniforms of FRSC, NDLEA, many Nigerians are yet to be convinced why a retired colonel feels too big to wear customs uniform. Therefore the senate must stand its ground that Hameed Ali must adorn customs uniform or resign. Aside his lack of respect to the senate and the customs as institutions, it was also alleged that he does not report to his superior, the minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, as demanded by law claiming that he reports only to President Buhari. His supporters claim that he is a man of integrity who did not ask for the job, so should be allowed to implement customs service reform and grow government revenue in that sector, without distractions by the senate. This begs the question, has he made his assets declaration forms? If he is a man of integrity let him make his assets public. After all President Muhammadu Buhari promised that all his appointees shall make their assets public. Since the president has failed to enforce public declaration of assets by his appointees, Hameed Ali, as a man of integrity should make public his assets. And if he was appointed because he is indispensible, let me leave this quote from the Father of Modern France, Charles De Gaulle, for those who appointed him, "The grave yards are filled with indispensible men." The import of the quote is that the grave yards are filled with those who while they were alive thought that without them nothing moves. They are now dead, reduced to soil and bones and life goes on!