Federal Character Breach: FCC Asks Customs to Suspend Training

The Federal Character Commission (FCC) has called on the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to suspend its ongoing recruitment exercise over alleged violations of federal character principles.

The Chairman of the FCC’s Financial Services Committee, Abdulwasiu Bawa-Allah, made the demand during a press briefing in Abuja, saying the allegations surrounding the recruitment process required a thorough investigation.

Bawa-Allah said the commission was not invited to monitor the exercise despite its constitutional responsibility to promote, monitor and enforce compliance with federal character principles in recruitment and appointments across federal ministries, departments and agencies.

He also expressed concern over reports that hundreds of candidates whose names appeared on the published final recruitment list had completed screening, documentation and medical examinations but were not invited to participate in training.

According to him, some affected candidates had resigned from their jobs, trained replacements and incurred substantial expenses in anticipation of their employment.

The FCC chairman said the situation had raised questions about transparency, fairness and compliance with approved distribution formulas designed to ensure equitable representation of states and the Federal Capital Territory.

He alleged that correspondence sent by the commission to the Customs Service concerning its concerns had been ignored.

Bawa-Allah stressed that the FCC was not seeking the recruitment of unqualified candidates but wanted suitably qualified Nigerians from all parts of the country to receive fair consideration through transparent procedures.

He called on the Comptroller-General of Customs and the service’s management to suspend the exercise and provide relevant recruitment records to enable the commission to examine the process.

The demand follows a statement issued by the NCS on October 19, in which the service acknowledged complaints from applicants who were screened out and prevented from proceeding to the training college despite appearing on the recruitment shortlist.

The Customs Service said it was reviewing complaints from affected applicants. Its spokesperson has also stated that some names were allegedly added to the recruitment list improperly and that candidates must undergo verification before being accepted for training.

The FCC’s intervention has intensified scrutiny of the recruitment process, with the commission seeking to establish whether the exercise complied with constitutional requirements.

The allegations have yet to be conclusively established through an independent investigation.