Alleged corruption: Probe Customs boss, senator begs Buhari

The Vice-Chairman, Senate Committee on Customs and Excise, Senator Francis Fadahunsi, has renewed his call for the removal of the Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service, Col Hameed Ali (retd).

Fadahunsi, a retired Assistant Comptroller General of Customs, said the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), should remove Ali to show that his government was serious about fighting corruption in government agencies.

The senator, who said this in an interview with our correspondent on Saturday, stated that if the Buhari regime could suspend the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Hadiza Bala Usman, for alleged fraud, it should also be bold enough to suspend the NCS boss.

He alleged that “massive” corruption was going on under Ali’s watch and that the country was losing so much money due to this.

Fadahunsi, who represents Osun East District, alleged that proceeds from goods seized and those auctioned did not go to the government’s purse, saying there was the need for the NCS to be “thoroughly” investigated.

He said, “Mr President is called upon to remove Ali the way Hadiza was suspended to boost the economy. Now that the Federal Government appears ready to fight corruption in the agencies, the Customs should be visited.

“Concerning the seizure and disposal of contraband goods, Ali has not rendered any returns in the past six years. The amount estimated from these runs into trillions of naira. He has also not made any public auction according to the Auction Sales Code.

“The CG has not audited his accounts in the past six years. If he says he has done that, let him publish the audited report. Let him also publish what he has made on the auction of seized goods since he resumed. That should be subject to a forensic audit. He has never told us what he made from overtime cargoes and containers.’’