The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has defended its decision to exclude some candidates from its training exercise, insisting that appearing on a published recruitment list did not amount to automatic enlistment into the Service.
The clarification followed a report by SaharaReporters that more than 500 candidates who said they had completed the recruitment and screening process were not invited to commence training despite having their names on a list published by the NCS.
In its response to the report on Wednesday, the Customs Service explained that recruitment into the agency involved several stages, with candidates required to meet additional conditions before receiving final clearance for training.
According to the NCS, the screening process included verification of credentials and documents, physical and endurance assessments, medical examinations, drug-abuse screening and other mandatory checks. According to SaharaReporters, it said candidates could therefore appear on an earlier list and still be disqualified at a subsequent stage if they failed to satisfy any of the prescribed requirements.
The Service said factors capable of affecting a candidate’s progression included age discrepancies, adverse drug-screening results, irregularities in credentials, failure to meet medical or physical standards and other breaches of the recruitment conditions.
It also rejected the suggestion that the number of complaints from affected candidates, by itself, established that irregularities occurred during the exercise. The NCS said individual cases would have to be assessed against official recruitment records before any conclusion could be reached.
The Service further said it would not disclose individual candidates’ assessment scores, rankings, medical results, confidential documentation observations or internal selection considerations, describing such information as confidential.
Responding to reports that some candidates had resigned from their jobs, relocated or incurred expenses after seeing their names on the published list, the NCS said it understood their concerns but maintained that such personal decisions could not create an entitlement to enlistment.
The agency said candidates had been informed that publication of their names or participation in subsequent screening did not constitute an unconditional appointment or guarantee of training.
The NCS also maintained that the final training cohort consisted of candidates who satisfied the applicable requirements and attained the required standard for progression.
It said the recruitment exercise was conducted to ensure that only candidates who met the established standards for a sensitive paramilitary organisation were eventually enlisted, adding that it would not compromise requirements relating to age, documentation, physical and medical fitness, drug screening, integrity or other mandatory conditions.
