By Saminu Ibrahim
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced a fresh screening window for applicants who were disqualified from its recent recruitment exercise despite appearing on the final shortlist.
The Service said the decision followed complaints from affected applicants who were prevented from proceeding to the training college after the screening exercise.
In a statement on Monday, the National Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Abdullahi Maiwada, said the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, had directed a case-by-case review of the complaints after meeting with some aggrieved applicants.
Maiwada explained that appearing on the final shortlist did not automatically guarantee enlistment, noting that the recruitment process involved several stages of verification to ensure that only qualified candidates were admitted into the Service.
According to him, the screening exercise identified issues relating to substance abuse, excluding cigarettes and alcohol, physical fitness, medical records, age verification and submitted documents among 397 applicants.
He added that some candidates were also disqualified over irregularities identified in their selection process.
The NCS spokesperson said the review was intended to provide an opportunity for applicants with genuine grievances to have their cases examined without compromising the established recruitment standards.
He urged affected candidates to forward their details and complaints to helpdesk@customs.gov.ng, advising them to provide accurate information to facilitate the assessment of their cases.
Maiwada further stated that applicants seeking to benefit from the fresh review would undergo another screening exercise.
He warned that candidates found to have engaged in criminal conduct, including certificate fraud and other offences, would be referred for appropriate legal action and prosecution.
The Service stressed that the review did not amount to an automatic guarantee of admission into the training college or a waiver of the requirements for recruitment.
It urged applicants and members of the public to remain calm and use the designated channel to submit their complaints.
The NCS reaffirmed its commitment to a transparent, credible and accountable recruitment process, maintaining that it would not compromise the standards required of personnel responsible for national security, border protection, revenue collection and public safety.
