Like father like son how old were you in the early 60s I believe you must have been told what was the end of your father self styled Fani power who ended up as Fani powerless.

greenpasture:


If we can demilitarized mind sets we might be able to envisage the head of customs being a lawyer or an accountant. The man retired as a general and the highest ranking for the customs is lieutenant general. The only reason they want him to wear th uniform is because he is legally over the age o retirement in customs. Wear it and they use retirement age to dismiss him.

As far as I am concerned a man need not wear a uniform he was not enlisted in.

I also believe a civilian can run customs. Is it not to know custom process an tariffs? Typically Nigerian drama.

Hamid Ali never got to a general before he was kicked out of the military.

slurryeye:


FFK should just shut up. The last time I check, it is not written in the constitution that a custom leader should wear uniform when he or she wants to face the senate. And both the senate and Ali should be ashamed of themselves that despite the recession and economic hardship on the citizens, what they will rather bother themselves with is wearing one stupid uniform or not

See ur level of reasoning; now the uniform is stupid right? Nigerians sha. No wonder we r where we r now; am not sure an American soldier will term his uniform stupid. Cos that's d pride of d country he or she serves.

I keep asking myself. What is d big deal. In wearing a uniform man, wearing his uniform. Abi his rank, decoration didn't match the office. He's holding.

Abi, he gets d appointment, unduly, unqualify, or ....

Is FFK really more handsome than Ali sef? Ali is just older.

Mentcee:
No. It's Buhari who is the foolish monkey.

And your father is.............?

Scream:
When you are paid from our tax, you can't act like you are bigger than us...if so, stay in your house! But if you keep taking our money, you have to behave yourself.

show us where it's stated in our law that a comptroller should wear uniform. You might be poor at history, but the first 2 indigenous comptroller from '61 did not wear uniform. Why is that one an issue.

Mentcee:
No. It's Buhari who is the foolish monkey.

your father that did not get a befitting burial, what was he?

numericalguy:



Hamid Ali never got to a general before he was kicked out of the military.

That may be as it is, but I have no doubt that the equivalent rank in customs is less than his retirement rank. Let's look at the
1. Can a man have rank in customs without enlisting?
2. What pension scheme will Ali be under; his military? His customs after he resigns? Both? None?

It is clearly a nonsense to insist that a position such as head of customs requires a uniform; did all prior heads of frsc wear uniform? Is there a uniform for the head of NYSC?

We must walk away from any precedent that limits who can hold positions wherever we can. Some such as doctors, lawyers, military personnel are obvious. Customs carry guns but they have less constitutional hierarchy in defence of Nigeria's sovereignity than even the civil defence. My late father was perm sec internal affairs 67-71 and had final remit ( under a super perm sec system) for civil defense, immigration, prisons, fire brigade and even early elements of the old NSO and police/CID. This included relating directly to the then IG Kam Salem but He did not wear a uniform.

Politics can be ridiculous because it is a game to them. But we must ensure that in their bid to win battles, they do not set precedents that cause us to lose the war.

why are we suprised at where nigeria is as at today when the likes of obasanjo for personal aggrandizement will make drug addicts and klpetomanic persons ,minsiters and special assistants in the presidency.?

Pavarottii:

See ur level of reasoning; now the uniform is stupid right? Nigerians sha. No wonder we r where we r now; am not sure an American soldier will term his uniform stupid. Cos that's d pride of d country he or she serves.

If you understand English very well, you will know that the word "stupid" is connotative in that context. Moreso, the US senates won't be so dumb to be arguing about a uniform, and if the US senates do argue about uniform with secretary of homeland security, then no american will be wrong to call the uniform stupid.

conquerour:
I wish to refer all those who have been commenting on the Custom Uniform debate to take time out to read Sections 1-4 of the Nigerian Customs Service Board Act which creates the Nigerian Customs Service Board and the constitution thereof as well as the Customs and Excise Management Act to appreciate the time wasting exercise of the Senate that has unfortunately distracted itself from the main substance of the issue which is the retroactive policy on payment of duties on vehicles and has concentrated on a time wasting, pedestrian and non issue of wearing uniforms by the CG.

I am still waiting for anyone including the Senate to refer us to any general policy guidelines made by the Nigerian Customs Service Board that prescribes that the CG must wear uniforms.

In fact by the provisions of Section 2 of the Act, anybody can be appointed as CG including a person seconded from any arm of the Civil Service. It doesn't have to be a career officer.

And do our Senators and all know that the duties of the Board under the Customs and Excise Act are in two parts?

Do they know what the Excise duties entail?

Do they know that border and port control and duties assessment and collection are only an integral part of the functions of the service?

Do they know that it also has inspectorate responsibilities over factories and industrial complexes?

Do they know it has powers over some elements of aviation with powers to even impound ships and aircrafts?

Do they know that it also must grant licences for the production of spirits and beers?

Do they know that No brewery or distillery can manufacture beer or spirits in Nigeria without licence from the Board of Customs?

Are they aware that It also has powers to make regulations regulating the manufacture of Tobacco?

And above all, about half of its work force doesn't even wear uniforms especially those on Excise duties.

The CG is therefore not an enforcement officer alone, but also a regulator and licencing body.

He is not obliged by law to wear uniform.

Please let us support our assertions with the law setting up the Customs and Excise and its functions.

Which law prescribes that anybody in the Customs should wear uniforms. As Comptroller General, he is the Vice Chairman of the Board and Finance Minister is the Chairman. Would she also wear uniform?

He is not obliged to wear uniform because his schedule of duties does not require him to so do. Neither can he be compelled to do so.

The Senate is misdirected in this case. Instead of facing the real issue of the retroactive directive on duty payment for imported cars, they are here busy chasing inanities and leaving the substance.

They will come out bruised.

Dr Olu Agunloye was Corp Marshal of FRSC, he didn't wear uniform to work. Roli Bode George as DG of NDLEA and her Executive Chairman don't wear uniform to work. She adorned it only occasionally out of choice and not because she was compelled or obliged to so do and for ceremonials.

Lanre Ipinmisho was DG of NDLEA and didn't wear uniform.

Retired AIG Oyakhilome was DG of NDLEA and didn't wear uniform.

Coming to Lagos, Retired Commissioner of Police Arebamen and Odubela were heads of LASTMA and AIG Chris Olakpe currently heads the agency.

None of them wore or wears uniform because the law didn't make it obligatory for them to wear it.

General Bamaiyi was Chairman of NDLEA, he didn't wear their uniform either. Neither did AIG Fulani Kwajafa.

The current DG too doesn't wear any uniform.
The pioneer Director of Customs, Mr Diyan and his predecessor didn't wear uniform too.

It was Dr Bello who was a Veterinary Surgeon before his appointment as DG who first wore the uniform. He was never in the Customs before his appointment.

They were all political appointees to the offices.

So why the hullabaloo about a non issue as pedestrian by the Senate.

The Senate promulgated the laws under which he operates, why is it so difficult for them to invoke their own law setting up the Customs to deal with the issue rather than all the playing to the gallery as we have so far seen.

I have not heard any of the throats bursting senators make any reference to any law or guidelines that the DG of Customs has flouted by his refusal to wear uniform

I believe that is not too much for them to refer themselves and the citizens to the relevant laws or regulations. They should invoke the law rather than distracting the Customs from doing its work.

Enough of the comedy.

Please what's the color of ndlea uniform?