Customs defends promotion, recruitment process in the agency.

Abiola Seun |

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) yesterday said it was not indulging in any sentiment in promotion, posting and recruitment of personnel.

The Customs’ Public Relations Officer, Mr Joseph Attah, made this known in a statement in Abuja.

Attah explained that as a Federal Government agency, NCS had been abiding strictly by the rules governing recruitment, promotion and appointment into the management cadre.

He was reacting to the allegation of northernisation of the Customs through the recent promotion in the management cadre which allegedly was skewed in favour of the North.

“For the umpteenth time, the Service wishes to state that all the zones of the country are equally represented at the management cadre of NCS.

“Vacancy for new appointment is only made available through retirement, resignation, dismissal or any natural cause.

“When any of the above occurs, such vacancies are filled by new appointments from the zone(s) and in the last few months, there have been retirements of two Deputy Comptrollers General (DCGs), one from the North-East and the other from the North-West.

“There were also three Assistant Comptrollers- General (ACGs) that exited the Service, two were retired, one was dismissed. And those ones, one is from the North-East and two from North-West.

“Two DCG vacancies provided spaces for two senior serving ACGs from the same zones of North-East and North-West to be appointed to the rank of DCG. This therefore increased the number of ACG vacancies to five which must be filled from the two zones that have the vacancies,” he explained.

He said those vacancies were filled accordingly from the zones affected.

Attah stated that those who had chosen to impugn Northernisation or any other sentiments were far from the truth.

He said their intention of promoting this negative narrative was suspect as the same people did not come out to talk about ‘marginalization’ due to disciplinary issues.

He however recalled that two ACGs from the same zone of North-West were affected by forced retirement and dismissal.

According to him, it is surprising that these people will wish their replacements came from different zones.

The spokesman urged Nigerians to ignore this mischievous twist to the recent promotion.