The Nigerian Senate is likely to wait in vain Wednesday for Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), comptroller-general of customs, to appear before it.
After one failed attempt, Ali did appear before the Senate last week only to be walked out for not wearing the uniform of the Nigeria Customs Service as he had been directed.
Ali’s alibi for his likely non-appearance is a law suit filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday by a lawyer, Mohammed Ibrahim. In the writ of summons in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/207/2017, the court has asked that the status quo be maintained, pending the determination of the matter before it.
It is not within the powers of the Senate to dictate to Ali, who was appointed by the president, how to conduct himself, the plaintiff pleads.
Ali, who was at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday, told media people he won’t appear before the Senate as the matter was already in court and he had obtained his summons.
