FINALLY, Nigeria’s upper legislative chamber may have settled it rift with Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) boss, Col. Hameed Ali, over non-wearing of the agency’s uniform.

The Senate had in March this year summoned Mr. Ali over Customs’ plan to impound vehicles that have no import duty clearance. It specifically asked him to appear in uniform.

Ali, who said he may honour the invitation pointed out that he was not going to appear in uniform, insisting that “I was not appointed Comptroller General to wear uniform.”

Mr. Ali, a retired colonel, was appointed Customs chief in 2015 by President Muhammadu Buhari, becoming the second to be so appointed from outside the service.

Ali, later honoured the invitation from the Red chamber and was walked out over his failure to wear his uniform as resolved.

The matter was later shifted to the judiciary to determined the fate of Ali.

But yesterday, Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki gave Ali, the leeway to wear “jeans and T-Shirt” to office if that would enable him to tackle and end massive smuggling of goods into the country.

This is according to a report on The Nation Newspapers.

Speaking on the role of the NCS in the battle against smugglers, Saraki said: “For the Comptroller General of Customs, let me say on a lighter note that once you end smuggling, even if you want to wear jeans and T-Shirt, I will move the motion that you should wear jeans and T-Shirt. But on a serious note, this issue is very important. Let us all work towards ending this menace once and for all.”

As at press time, Social Times has not confirmed if Saraki’s position is the resolution of the red chamber.

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