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Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Politics / Read What Femi-fani Kayode Write About CG Of Custom Hammed Ali (570 Views)
2019: If I Were You I Won’t Contest At 70 – Customs CG Hammed Ali Tells Buhari / Hammed Ali's Handshake With A Female Customs Officer (Pictured) / Senate Walks Out Hammed Ali, Customs Comptroller General For Not Wearing Uniform (2) (3) (4)
Read What Femi-fani Kayode Write About CG Of Custom Hammed Ali by EYIBLESSN(m): 4:15am On Mar 22, 2017 |
COLONEL HAMEED ALI AND THE NIGERIAN
SENATE
Retired Colonel Hameed Ali, the Comptroller
General of the Nigerian Customs Service, is a
proud and stubborn man. His disdain for others
and insufferable arrogance is not only vexatious
to the spirit but also downright nauseating.
Someone should remind him that the Holy Bible
says "the Lord resists the proud and exalts the
humble". Another should tell him that, according
to Greek mythology, nemesis always follows
hubris. If he doubts that he should find out what
happened to a character called Icarus.
Clearly this obnoxious and canterkerous little
man needs to be brought down a peg or two and
pulled off his high horse.
I say this because I cannot but wonder how any
reasonable, right-thinking and responsible person
can refuse to wear the uniform of an agency
that he heads and leads.
This is especially so when the Nigerian Senate
has, for the second time, asked him to do so
when appearing before them.
The first time he apologised and promised to do
so and the second time he stubbornly refused
and was consequently and appropiately thrown
out of the Senate Chamber.
There may be no law in our statute books that
constrains or compels him to wear his uniform
but humility, good manners, morality, wisdom,
custom and decency most certainly do.
How does he and those that support him expect
those working under him in the Nigerian
Customs Service to feel when he refuses to wear
their uniform?
Is he not indirectly telling them that he is
superior to them and that he is too good for
them? This is a sevice that they have dedicated
their lives and careers to. I wonder how that
affects their morale?
And in any case what signal is he sending to the
Nigerian people and to the rest of the world?
Such a thing has never happened before and the
truth is that such open and obvious contempt
being displayed by a senior government official
and the head of a paramilitary organisation and
government parastatal towards his underlings
and the agency that he heads is rarely seen.
Ali has contempt for his Minister who he is
meant to report to. He has contempt for the
government agency that he purportedly leads. He
has contempt for the people that work under him
in that agency.
He has contempt for the Nigerian Senate. He has
contempt for the government that he serves and
finally he has contempt for the Nigerian people.
By his open defiance what he is really saying is
the following:
"You people just don't get it. I belong to the
small circle of those who OWN Nigeria and you
people and your customs, rules, regulations,
practices, conventions and norms do not matter".
He is saying,
"You are nothing before us and you can shout
and scream as much as you like. At the end of
the day, whether you like it or not, we are in
power, we were born to rule and we OWN you all
so just shut up and sit down!"
That is his mindset and it is simply appauling.
And with him this has always been the case. If
anyone doubts that they should find out a little
more about his antecedents and what he stands
for. They should find out about his history and
record in and outside of the military.
They should do the research and find out what
he did as Military Governor of Kaduna state
during the regime of General Sani Abacha and
later Sec. Gen. of the Arewa Consultative Forum.
They should read the derogatory and incendiary
statements he made about the south, the Middle
Belt and all those that opposed the agenda of
the ACF at the time.
To say that he was arrogant, overbearing, racist
and tribalist and that he is a bigot would be an
understatement.
And worst still he is a total and complete
creation of President Muhammadu Buhari. He
was his Chief of Staff during numerous
presidential campaigns and the President loves
him as if he were his own son.
That, together with a streak of sadism, explains
Ali's sheer impudence and supreme confidence
on this and so many other issue.
He is reported to have said that he will not wear
the customs uniform because he is a retired
officer of the Nigerian Army and the only uniform
he will ever wear again is the military one.
Does this man have a brain?
One wonders what infantile nonsense this is?
What misplaced arrogance and childish verbiage?
What absurd and good old fashioned
gobbledygook? I really don't know whether to
laugh or cry.
If Ali was not prepared to honor and respect the
conventions and norms of the Nigerian Customs
Service why did he accept the job?
Since when did things degenerate to this level in
our country? Has Nigeria turned into a land of
misfits, comedians and Tolkien-like orcs and
goblins or are we still a nation of serious-minded
and sensible human beings and precious souls?
Are we a giant army barracks where only senior
military officers and commanders are respected
or a sovereign and independent nation-state
where the will of the people holds sway at all
times and in all matters.
Are we a zoo that is populated by wild animals
and ravenous beasts or a land of honorable men
and respected mortals?
Does Ali not know that military rule ended in
Nigeria 18 years ago in 1999 and that the
Nigerian people are not interested in it EVER
coming back or of being reminded about its
traumatising and barbaric excesses?
Does he, like a small handful of other hard-line,
ultra-conservative, core northern retired army
officers, see Nigeria as nothing but a vassal
state and subjugated colony that was conquered
by his forefathers, elders, leaders, mentors and
seniors in the military after the "northern officers
revenge coup" of January 29th 1966?
If this is the case then he is still living in the
distant past and he is certainly in urgent need of
psychiatric attention. He also needs a series of
powerful all-night prayer sessions for deliverance
from the malevolent demons that control him.
His attitude and disposition certainly throws up a
lot of questions? Amongst them are as follows:
Firstly does Nigeria live for the military or does
the military live for Nigeria?
Secondly if he had come from the southern or
Middle Belt zone of the country would he have
dared to pull this stunt and, if so, would he have
got away with it?
If he had not been from the core north and a
member of the President's inner circle of
untouchables would Buhari have tolerated his
irresponsible behaviour and his sheer indiscipline.
If he had not been Buhari's soul-mate and
kinsman would the President have endorsed his
not so subtle refusal to bow before civilian
institutions and to submit to civilian authority.
In any case who the hell does Ali really think he
is? Does he believe that he is the reincarnation
of Usman Dan Fodio of the Fulani Caliphate or
the living manifestation of Salahudeen Yusuf of
Egypt and Syria?
He was retired as a colonel in the military many
years ago and there was nothing that was
particularly distinguished about his career. He
was certainly not a blue-blooded, swashbuckling,
gallant, courageous, good-looking, principled and
polo-playing Col. Abubakar 'Dangiwa' Umar.
And neither can he compare himself to the great
Major-General Hananiya who retired as a Major-
General in the Nigerian Army and yet who
proudly wore the uniform of the Federal Road
Safety Commision after being appointed as the
head of that agency?
Whatever misplaced, vain and inconceivable
notions that he has ought to be kept to himself
and if I had been his Minister I would have
insisted that he not only wore his uniform to all
official functions and meetings but also during
office hours.
.
The man is really very strange. He has what I
would describe as the "Cassius look". Like the
character Cassius in Shakespeare's 'Julius
Caesar' he is lean, mean, spartan, silent, hungry
and dangerous. This is a cold man with a dark
soul: a man that is as hard as nails and who
finds it difficult to smile.
He is what the British refer to as a "strange
fish". He is reticent, reclusive, nocturnal, limited
in knowledge, stunted in intelligence, very
thuggish and, worst of all, he sees and says
"AREWA" before anything else.
My friend and brother, Oloye Yinka Odumakin, the
spokesman of Afenifere and a leading columnist
and writer in Nigeria, wrote the following as part
of his contribution to the debate. He said,
"Ali answers to the Comptroller General of
Customs title. He lives in the official residence.
He takes the pay. He uses the official cars and
takes ALL the privileges of the office. But he
rejects ONLY the uniform!"
This is a pertinent observation. Odumakin has hit
the nail on the head.
In his own contribution Bashorun Akin
Osuntokun, one of the most respected and
courageous columnists in the country and a
formidable historian and veteran politician, said:
"One problem of our people is exasperating
political naivety and lack of strategic thinking.
This Ali man was the most truculent secretary of
Arewa Consultative Forum. His recent behavior
is a typical manifestation of the northern
hegemony syndrome hence a strategic enemy of
our vision of an egalitarian Nigeria. And here is
an opportunity to advance this objective - and
what do we do with it?"
How right Osuntokun is. And for the benefit of
those that are defending Ali on the specious
grounds that the law does not compel him to
wear the uniform he went on to ask:
"Is there any law that says we must rise when
the President enters a gathering? Or is there any
law that says we must play the National Anthem
at official functions?"
Osuntokun's point is well served and well taken.
These are pertinent questions that he has asked.
Both he and Odumakin have done justice to the
matter.
Their words appropiately and adequately reflect
the sheer arrogance and impunity of Hameed Ali
and the ignorance and naivety of those that are
encouraging, defending and supporting him.
Osuntokun's earlier point particularly reflects the
fact that there is a terrible weakness and a lack
of fortitude and courage coupled with a deep and
grave affliction buried deep in the souls of those
that truly crave for a just and egalitarian society
in Nigeria yet who, when they see a man like Ali
beating his chest like an alpha male gorilla,
either openly support him in his scandalous
tomfoolery or they remain silent in awe and
trepidation of him.
Nothing is more shocking and disappointing than
the disposition and behaviour of such people,
many of whom ought to know better.
Essentially the problem here is that many that
have been turned into slaves in our country do
not even know that they are slaves anymore
because they have gotten used to it and they
see it as the norm. This, surely, is the worse
form of bondage and servitude.
Permit me to share an example of such a
twisted and warped mindset and disposition with
you here.
During the American civil war you actually had
some black slaves fighting for the southern
Confederate forces of Dixie despite the fact that
those same forces were fighting to perpetuate
the institution of slavery.
That is how I view those that constantly support
and encourage the arrogant hegemonist
monsters that live amongst us and those who
cannot comprehend the damage that they are
doing to our collective cause and pysche by
doing so.
That is how I see those that are quick to endorse
and applaud the shameful challenge and affront
of Hameed Ali to the Senate and to the Nigerian
people.
They are the tragedy of Nigeria and without their
support conflicted personalities like Ali would not
get away with the kind of things that they are
getting away with.
May the Lord deliver us from power-mad and
arrogant men who attempt to play God, whose
time is short and whose clock is ticking fast.
Shalom.
19 hrs · Public
More 1 Like |
Re: Read What Femi-fani Kayode Write About CG Of Custom Hammed Ali by dealslip(f): 4:40am On Mar 22, 2017 |
Beautiful piece from FFK, he speaks without fear or favour. Regardless of whose Ox is gored. Being a literature student myself. I adore your writing skills. Bravo. Please leave the messenger and focus on the message. |
Re: Read What Femi-fani Kayode Write About CG Of Custom Hammed Ali by Ikpewe: 4:41am On Mar 22, 2017 |
Corrupt FFK go jump inside lagoon. I am tired of your nuisance everyday. |
Re: Read What Femi-fani Kayode Write About CG Of Custom Hammed Ali by NOC1(m): 5:18am On Mar 22, 2017 |
dealslip: His writing skills are great, agreed. speaking with out favour is a no no, according to those who have hired him and fired him you only need a plate of RICE and ASUN for him to write a great... for you. to make him speak much more better of you present that meal with skunk that is Short weed. on Ali case he has invited the Judiciary to interpret the law, mind you this is a case of me seeing what is right from my on angle of view, from your own position you're seeing another thing. I can decide to bow to your own...but when I disagree with you I need the third eye to see for himself then tell us what he saw so that majority will carry the day. let us allow the interpreters of the law to tell us what is beneath that quoted lines everybody is laying hold on. to me this is not pride or arrogance, he is just following due process. I would have called it one if he had refused to appear before the Senate or refused to wear the uniform with out a legal backing. Have a nice day People. |
Re: Read What Femi-fani Kayode Write About CG Of Custom Hammed Ali by engrfcuksmtin(m): 5:21am On Mar 22, 2017 |
Gbam, FFK is on point on this one. |
Re: Read What Femi-fani Kayode Write About CG Of Custom Hammed Ali by luckyz4rea(m): 6:40am On Mar 22, 2017 |
I heard it is demeaning to ask a former/retired colonel to wear Customs uniform! Mr FFK even said its not in the constitution to ask him to. My question is; Why the fuss then? As a news agency said that the basis for his saction to the senate is because of the impounded bullet proof range rover belonging to the senate president! If this is true then there's no basis for his sanction because the sanctioners don't have any character to sanction anyone! |
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