Reps: Constituents pressuring us over customs recruitment

The house of representatives committee on customs and excise has raised concern over pressure from constituents on the ongoing recruitment by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

Speaking at a media briefing on Friday in Abuja, Leke Abejide, chairman of the committee, said the current recruitment by customs is to fill specific positions within the agency, and not for general recruitment.

Abejide said it became necessary for the committee to clarify because constituents have been demanding slots in the recruitment.

“I consider it necessary to address this press conference to let Nigerians know that what the Nigeria Customs Service is doing is not full recruitment but to fill the gaps of cadres not filled in the last recruitment process,” he said.

“They have four cadres to recruit, namely superintendent, inspectorate, level 04 and level 03; one per LGA. Any cadre already filled in the just-concluded recruitment will not be available in the portal opened on December 13, 2021.

“It is important to make this clarification because of the pressure from our constituents who are not aware that the NCS is not undertaking massive recruitment.

“If the current CEMA (Customs and Excise Management Act Amendment) Bill before the national assembly is passed and the Nigeria Customs Service has the proposed 4 percent FOB (free on board), it will be easier for them to recruit over 10,000 officers at once and also be able to pay them.

“At the moment, the 7 percent collection cannot allow them to do that because it is insufficient to pay salaries of the current 15,439 officers in its workforce.”