The Nigeria Customs Service has said candidates whose names appeared on its published recruitment list are not automatically guaranteed appointment, explaining that final screening is still ongoing before successful applicants are admitted for training.
The clarification followed complaints from some candidates who said they completed the Computer-Based Test, physical examinations and initial screening, accepted their appointments on the official recruitment portal and saw their names published as successful. They had yet to receive invitations for training scheduled to begin on Friday.
According to a SaharaReporters report, the affected candidates include more than 500 applicants who said they were left uncertain about their status after invitations reportedly stopped on Monday. Some claimed they had resigned from their jobs and incurred other expenses, believing their appointments were secured.
Customs spokesman and Deputy Comptroller of Customs, Abdullahi Maiwada, told The PUNCH exclusively on Wednesday that the publication of a candidate’s name did not amount to a final appointment. He said candidates must pass the physical screening and other requirements before they can be admitted into the training college and eventually commissioned as officers.
“I will start my response first with a question. Did anyone who complained to you inform you that they have been issued an appointment letter? So that means the process is still ongoing,” Maiwada said. He added that the essence of screening is to conduct a physical examination of successful candidates.
