Resign if you can’t wear Customs uniform – Senator tells Handed Ali

Senator representing Lagos West, Solomon Adeola, has called on the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs Service, NCS, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) to resign his appointment if he cannot wear Customs uniform.

Adeola gave the call while reacting to Ali’s recent comment that he can never put on Customs uniform.

In a statement by his Media Adviser, Chief Kayode Odunaro, Adeola said it was regrettable that a retired army colonel who should know the importance of uniforms wants to demean and undermine the symbolic importance of uniforms.

Adeola said that the Senate Resolution summoning Ali to appear in Custom Service uniform and rank was aimed at protecting  the organizational integrity.

The statement reads, “We have had a Major General Haladu Hanniya as head of FRSC wearing the agency’s uniform as well as a Major Danjuma Maigari wearing even the KAI uniform in Lagos State all in a bid to promote agencies they lead.

“This is not the Abacha military era when a Sole Administrator was appointed to head the Nigerian Customs.”

The senator stressed that military and paramilitary uniforms inclusive of ranks are part of the symbol of legitimate authority conferred on the wearer to carry out certain duties on behalf of the government.

He said, ” Except in covert operations, an officer in these organizations operating without uniform could be taken to be performing illegal duty or worse, be taken as not representing the institution at all.

“And as stated on the floor of the Senate in plenary, the Comptroller General is rank that can only be worm on uniform and not on mufti.”