By Ochereome Nnanna
Whe
retired Col. Hameed Ali, the Comptroller General of the Customs, CGC, finally
yielded to the language and pressure of force and appeared before the Senate on
summons on Thursday, 16th March 2017, the only thing I wanted to see on him was
his uniform as the overall boss of that organisation.
Once
I saw he was still wearing his white kaftan, my gaze went beyond him to the
bevy of the Customs top brass, all proudly and smartly outfitted in their grey
khaki uniforms and looking resplendent indeed. Some of the “oga madams” (or
female officers) seemed to make a meal of the situation, all dolled up in
comely (even sexy) make-ups and slanting their caps at rakish angles, as if to
say: “to hell with Oga Hameed Ali for insulting the dignity of this uniform”.
Meanwhile,
Hameed Ali stood before the Senators like a truant schoolboy physically bundled
to the assembly ground to receive his due punishments from the school
principal. Receive the punishment he did: he was dismissed with ignominy to go and
wear his uniform and come back a week later.
Otherwise,
he would face the wrath of 109 Senators with the mandates of millions of
Nigerians. The arrogant will always be humiliated, and the proud put to shame.
I hear people parrot Ali’s nonsensical claim that no law compels him to wear
the uniform. Which law compels Africans to respect their elders? Which law
compels us to greet people when we meet them?
