Vehicle Duty: Rights Group Backs Senate  

A human rights group, the Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ) has expressed support for the Senate directive served on the Customs boss to appear before it in full regalia of the service uniform as a mark of honor and respect for the organization and the nation in general.

The group said the invitation should afford the Senate the chance to put sanity into the system and as well to stop the suffering Nigerians might go through over the implementation of the Customs’ new vehicle duty policy

The group, in a statement signed by its Executive Chairman, Comrade Adeniyi, Alimi Sulaiman praised the Senate “for standing up against the illegal and anti-people policy of Nigeria Customs Service, enjoying the lawmakers not to allow the policy to see the light of the day.”

According to him, “The decision of the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly to invite the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Ahmed Alli over the obnoxious new Vehicle duty policy and as well to appear before it in the Service Uniform is a welcome development which is in right direction.

“We are not in Banana country where anybody in position of authority can be doing as he likes and Col. Alli should not be allowed to return the nation back to the dark days of military which they could do anything at will without obedience to the law

“ The service should strive to get rid of bad eggs in its operation so as to regain their lost glory”.

It would be recalled that penultimate Thursday, the Customs boss, Col. Ahmed Ali, through a Circular, issued a one month ultimatum, from Monday, March 13, to Wednesday, April 12, 2017, to all Vehicle owners within the country, whose Customs duties had not been fully paid to do so, advising in the Circular that all Motor Dealers and Private owners of such vehicles to visit the nearest Zonal office of the service to pay appropriate duties on them.