Were names on the Nigeria Customs Employment list doctored and names of some successful candidates removed?
The service has risen in defense of such an insinuation, accusing some applicants raising objections of attempting to secure employment through unofficial channels.
It has at the same time promised to reinstate applicants found to have been wrongly disqualified.
Controversy has emerged over the manner of the 2024/2025 recruitment exercise of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to the end that candidates whose names appeared on the successful candidates’ list were allegedly dropped.
But reacting, the NCS spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada, in an interview with BBC Hausa, stated that inclusion on the list was not a guarantee for automatic employment.
According to him, candidates were required to pass further screening checks before they could proceed to training.
“Among those who are currently complaining, some attempted to use backdoor channels to gain entry, which is why they were removed.
“If we find that any candidate was removed erroneously, we will promptly reinstate them.
“It is important to understand that being invited for screening does not mean you have automatically secured the job,” he said.
NCS acknowledged receiving complaints from applicants who participated in the exercise but were subsequently excluded.
397 applicants were disqualified during physical screening over issues relating to substance abuse, age, physical fitness and documentation.
Maiwada said some candidates were found to have medical conditions, including Hepatitis B and high blood pressure, while others allegedly submitted fake credentials or exceeded the stipulated age limit.
He explained that the list published after the examination stages was not the final guarantee of employment.
According to him, the screening process included drug tests, age verification and medical assessments.
READ ALSO: Cargo Management: Nigeria Customs Unveils e-clearance Platform
READ ALSO: AfCTA: How Nigeria Can Increase Foreign Exchange Earnings –Customs
He added that applicants who believed their exclusion was unjustified could submit formal complaints for investigation.
The spokesperson also addressed reports that some candidates had resigned from their previous jobs after finding their names on the successful candidates’ list, only to be dropped during the subsequent screening.
Maiwada said the service had warned applicants against leaving their existing employment before completing the recruitment process.
“We warned them not to terminate their current employment because being invited to this stage does not guarantee a job,” he said.
He added that applicants who intended to leave their jobs were advised to liaise with their employers and comply with the required notice arrangements.
Maiwada further explained that candidates who passed the screening would still have to satisfy the requirements of the training programme before being commissioned as customs officers.
Parade drills, firearms training and customs operational courses among the requirements recruits must successfully complete.
Some reports observe however, that Maiwada did not comment about an unverified list in circulation, where the recruitment is skewed in favour of a particular region.
