I Have the Support of my Boss - Hammed Ali

Hammed Ali

Following the controversies steered by the policy of payment of vehicle duty, Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Col. Hammed Ali (retd.) has declared he has the support of President Muhammadu Buhari.

This is coming after the NCS officially suspended the implementation of the new controversial motor import duty payment following a meeting between the management of NCS and the Senate Committee on Customs and Excise.

The Customs boss revealed this in a chat with the State House correspondents shortly after emerging from the mosque located beside the President’s office inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Tuesday.

He said, “The President supports and agrees with us and the political will is behind us.

“As of today, apart from the statutory waivers, which the law allows, the President has not approved one single waiver.

“The truth is that when I came in, one of the difficult tasks is how to deal with, ‘big men.’ “Big time businessmen in the past have created a situation that they were the beneficiaries of waivers and concessions. “Huge amount of money is lost in this country through waivers and concessions.

“If John decides to import things as a trader, he is meant to pay duty, why should Ali, because he is a big businessman and has a status in the society be given waiver when the law is clear about it?”