Recruitment: Customs announces new venue for final screening of shortlisted candidates

From Uche Usim, Abuja and Steve Agbota

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Wednesday disclosed that Hero’s Square, New Owerri in Imo State,  will be the new venue for the final screening of candidates from the South-East and South-South geo-political zones as it gradually concludes its ongoing recruitment exercise.
According to Customs Public Relations Officer, Mr Joseph Attah, the earlier chosen venue, Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri, is currently under renovation and cannot possibly host such an exercise.
Attah advised all shortlisted candidates from the zones to note the change of venue and proceed to Hero’s Square, New Owerri, on the already scheduled dates and time for the screening.
Last week, the NCS released the names of the 3,500 candidates that qualified for the final screening in three national newspapers; Daily Sun, Daily Trust and The Nation.
Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, the NCS recruitment exercise had to be suspended after the aptitude test. Regrettably, the delay caused anxiety for the applicants, parents/guardians and indeed some members of the public who even went into overdrive mode with various allegations that questioned the integrity of the exercise.
The Customs management, however, assured anxious Nigerians that the recruitment would not only be transparent, but strictly based on merit and in tandem with the Federal Character principle, where every Local Government Area will be appropriately represented.
“Since the Service does not know when the ravaging COVID-19 pestilence will end, the management has decided to forge ahead with the exercise while strictly adhering to the protocols.
“In the interest of safety, screening will be held on zonal bases with the dates staggered according to grade levels and time allotted to states. The whole idea is to get the recruitment exercise concluded without exposing the candidate to unnecessary risks. Only shortlisted candidates should go to the screening venue. NCS, therefore, urges all candidates who will be coming for this screening to study the instructions and abide strictly to avoid instant disqualification and immediate eviction from the venue.
“NCS calls on the public to be mindful of fraudsters who will see the invitation for screening as another opportunity to distort and misinform desperate job seekers”, Attah said in a statement.