The Majority Leader of the Kano State House of Assembly, Hon. Lawan Hussaini Dala, has accused the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) of conducting a recruitment exercise that heavily favoured the southern part of the country, describing it as a clear violation of the Federal Character principle.
Speaking during the plenary on Wednesday, Hon. Dala said the recruitment process amounted to “gross injustice and imbalance,” as states in the South-West received a disproportionately higher number of slots compared to their northern counterparts.
“I am on this floor to challenge the way and manner the recruitment exercise is going on at the Nigeria Customs Service. To us, there is injustice. The Federal Character principle that was created to ensure equitable sharing of rights wasn’t considered,” he said.
According to him, out of 1,785 candidates recruited nationwide, the South-West received over half of the total, with Lagos alone getting 207 slots, Ogun 145, Ondo 132, Osun 127, Oyo 108, and Ekiti 93.
“In contrast, Kano got only 31, Katsina 20, Jigawa 18, and Zamfara 16. Altogether, the entire North-West received just about seven per cent of the total number recruited,” he claimed.
Dala warned that the trend could lead to regional imbalance within the Service if not urgently corrected. “If this continues, the Nigeria Customs Service in a few years to come will belong to a particular ethnicity or region,” he cautioned.
The lawmaker urged the House to formally communicate its position to the National Assembly, the Federal Character Commission (FCC), and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), demanding a review of the recruitment exercise to ensure fairness and inclusivity.
“We are calling on the Federal Character Commission and other relevant agencies to ensure that recruitment into federal institutions adheres strictly to fairness, equity, and justice, as enshrined in our constitution,” he added.
Other lawmakers supported Dala’s motion, urging northern representatives in the National Assembly to take up the issue.
The Speaker of the House commended Hon. Dala for raising the matter, describing it as “a patriotic move in defence of fairness and justice,” and directed the relevant House Committee to investigate the recruitment figures and report back for further legislative action.
