The Federal Character Commission (FCC) has called for the immediate suspension of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) recruitment training exercise over alleged violations of federal character principles and concerns that more than 500 candidates may have been excluded from the process.
The Chairman of the FCC’s Financial Services Committee, Abdulwasiu Bawa-Allah, made the call at a news conference in Abuja on Thursday, saying the commission was not invited to monitor the recruitment exercise despite its constitutional responsibility to ensure fairness and equitable representation in public service appointments.
Bawa-Allah said the allegations surrounding the recruitment process required investigation, particularly reports that candidates whose names appeared on the published final lists and who completed screening, documentation and medical examinations were not invited for training.
He said the situation had caused anxiety among affected candidates and raised concerns about possible manipulation and declining public confidence in the exercise.
“Some affected candidates resigned from their jobs, trained replacements, incurred substantial expenses and made important personal decisions.
“They did all these with the expectation that their published selection would lead to training and formal engagement,” he said.
Bawa-Allah said the NCS had acknowledged complaints about the recruitment in a statement issued on October 19, titled “Nigeria Customs Reviews Recruitment Complaints, Opens Doors for Engagement with Aggrieved Applicants,” but alleged that it failed to address the concerns satisfactorily.
He also alleged that the commission’s letters raising concerns about the exercise were ignored and that attempts to engage the NCS were treated with disdain.
According to him, the FCC is a constitutional institution responsible for promoting, monitoring and enforcing compliance with federal character principles in recruitment and appointments across ministries, departments and agencies.
“It is worthy to note that the FCC is not an advisory body that federal establishments may recognise only when convenient,” he said.
Bawa-Allah cited Paragraph 8(1) of Part I, Section C of the Third Schedule to the 1999 Constitution, as amended, as the legal basis for the commission’s intervention.
He explained that the provision empowers the FCC to establish fair distribution formulas for public service positions and ensure compliance with proportional representation across the country.
He added that the commission’s recruitment procedures require federal institutions to invite it to monitor their recruitment exercises. He said successful candidates must also be checked against approved distribution formulas covering all states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory before the FCC issues a Certificate of Compliance.
Bawa-Allah said the safeguards were designed to protect merit, fairness and transparency while ensuring that qualified Nigerians received equal consideration regardless of their state of origin, ethnicity, religion, political affiliation or social connections.
He expressed concern that the NCS conducted the recruitment exercise without the commission’s monitoring and oversight.
According to Bawa-Allah, the NCS published the final recruitment lists for the Superintendent, Inspectorate and Customs Assistant cadres between July 28 and July 30, 2026.
He said the publication gave successful candidates reason to expect that those who met the stated requirements would be treated transparently and informed of the reasons for any subsequent disqualification.
Bawa-Allah said reports that more than 500 candidates might have been excluded, while people whose names were allegedly not on the published lists received invitations for training, raised serious questions about the process.
He stressed that the commission was not seeking the recruitment of unqualified candidates but wanted qualified applicants from all parts of Nigeria to have fair opportunities through transparent and verifiable procedures.
“For clarity, the commission is not asking that unqualified candidates be recruited. The FCC does not replace merit.
“It requires suitably qualified candidates from all parts of Nigeria to receive equitable opportunities through transparent, verifiable and nationally inclusive procedures,” he said.
Bawa-Allah called on the NCS and its Comptroller-General to suspend the training exercise immediately and submit relevant recruitment records to the commission.
He also demanded evidence of a Certificate of Compliance and a reconciliation of the published final recruitment lists with the list of candidates invited for training.
The FCC chairman urged the NCS to cooperate with the commission’s Committee on Financial Services and any investigation lawfully conducted into the allegations.
He further called for the correction of any verified irregularities identified during the review.
Bawa-Allah said the commission would use the investigative, compliance and enforcement powers available to it under the Constitution, the FCC Establishment Act and applicable recruitment guidelines.
He reaffirmed the FCC’s commitment to promoting fairness, equity, merit, transparency and justice for all Nigerians.
