Recruitment: Customs opens portal for aggrieved shortlisted applicants

​ The Nigeria Customs Service has opened a complaint portal for applicants who were screened out and barred from entering training colleges despite appearing on the recent recruitment shortlist.

​The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, directed a case-by-case reappraisal of all genuine complaints after meeting with a delegation of the affected candidates in Abuja.

​This was contained in a statement signed by the National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Abdullahi Maiwada, on Monday.

​According to the statement, 397 candidates were disqualified during the final verification exercise over issues ranging from failed drug tests and medical unfitness to age falsification, document irregularities, and procedural flaws.

​The statement read in part, “The Nigeria Customs Service acknowledges complaints from some applicants who participated in the recent recruitment exercise. These candidates were among those screened out and subsequently not allowed to proceed to the training college despite appearing on the recruitment shortlist.

​“The Service recognises the concerns raised by affected applicants and assures the public that the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, after meeting with some of the aggrieved applicants, has called for a case-by-case reappraisal to ensure legitimate complaints are heard.”

​The NCS, however, clarified that appearing on the recruitment shortlist is not an automatic guarantee for final enlistment into the service.

​It explained that candidate enlistment involves multi-layered screening, including physical endurance tests, age and document verification, medical exams, and drug checks (excluding alcohol and cigarettes).

​To resolve genuine grievances, the Service urged affected candidates to submit their full details and complaints via helpdesk@customs.gov.ng.

​The statement warned that candidates who undergo fresh screening and are found guilty of criminal infractions, such as certificate forgery, will be handed over to law enforcement agencies for prosecution.

​“The review of complaints will not constitute a waiver of established standards or an automatic guarantee of admission into training,” Maiwada added, stressing that the agency would not compromise national security standards in its recruitment.