The Federal Government has been under fire from major opposition parties for failing to handle the country’s growing economic problems, pointing to the massive volume of job applications the Nigeria Customs Service has received as a direct result of government policies.
The NCS announced this week that, within a week of the recruitment exercise for 2024/2025, it had received 573,519 applications for just 3,927 unfilled positions.
The Federal Government has earlier authorized the hiring of 3,927 personnel for the NCS, according to confirmation from Minister of Finance Wale Edun.
Abdullahi Maiwada, NCS’s National Public Relations Officer, stated that the vast majority of candidates had a variety of educational backgrounds, including those with secondary school diplomas, university degrees, and Higher National Diplomas.
Opposition leaders, however, blame the increase in applications on the current government’s failure to address the rising cost of living and foster a business-friendly atmosphere.
In different press interviews, the New Nigeria People’s Party and the Labour Party both firmly blamed President Bola Tinubu’s government.
They contend that a large number of Nigerians are now in dire need of employment since the government has failed to encourage entrepreneurship and reduce poverty.
Obiora Ifoh, the National Publicity Secretary for LP, called the Customs recruiting turnout “scandalous,” highlighting the stark discrepancy between the number of applications and open slots.
He said, “They are looking for 3,927 candidates and almost 600,000 persons applied for the job. That means over half a million people are applying for Customs jobs. It tells you the level of poverty, insecurity, and decadence that this government has introduced in the last year.”
In addition, he criticized the dearth of job openings in other government agencies, he said, “Meanwhile, that is only for the Customs. If other agencies should open their platforms for employment, probably the whole of Nigeria will go there. When last have they been employed in the ministries? Just as somebody clearly stated, out of that half a million people who applied for Customs, we can be sure that over 90 per cent of the slots have already been given to people with connections. This is the situation we find ourselves in.”
Similarly, Ladipo Johnson, the NNPP’s National Publicity Secretary, expressed shock at the state of affairs and blamed Tinubu’s government for putting tax collection ahead of the well-being of its constituents.
Johnson emphasized the importance of tackling economic issues, but he did not speculate on the potential that spots would be set aside for particular candidates.
“One thing we can be sure of is that most of these applicants are people who are not interested in the customs career, but just needed a job badly. They are just eager to get something done and make money,” he stated.
Johnson also criticized the administration for concentrating on revenue rather than dealing with the larger economic problems.
“The only thing he understands is revenue. He believes that the more money the government collects, the better his government is doing. Meanwhile, he is not looking at the other side. When you are collecting, what are they using it for? Is it for the welfare of the people? The answer is no.
“The government has to look for a solution to the problems of the economy. If the cost of living and inflation come down, it will encourage private entrepreneurs to create jobs. Only then can we start seeing some improvements and avoid desperate situations like the one we see in the recruitment process of the Nigerian Customs.”