…Ask Customs, NSCDC to lift embargo on employment

By Christiana Ekpa

The House of Representatives yesterday asked the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps(NSCDC) to lift ban on employment in their establishments.
The House decision following a motion sponsored by Hon. Mohammed Gudaji Kazaure (APC,Jigawa), which was adopted without debate.
Presenting the motion, Kazaure’s alleged that NSCDC had flouted President Muhammadu Buhari’s order by failing to recruit 10,000 Nigerians into the agency.
He alleged that though over 3 million Nigerians applied for the service, only 5,000 were shortlisted, in breach of the president’s directive and without recourse to the National Assembly.
The lawmaker expressed dismay that if urgent actions were not taken, the worrying incidences cases of unemployment in the country, will trigger a crisis and disrupt efforts of the Federal government in the economic sector.
“When NSCDC opened its portal, over 3 million people applied to be recruited there, 10, 000 people were approved by the President to be recruited, but only 5,000 people were shortlisted by NSCDC, even in violation of the president’s directive”, he said.
He warned that unemployed youth, were going into crimes at an alarming rate, because, according to him, many agencies were hoarding jobs.
Contributing to the motion, the minority leader of the House, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu (PDP, Delta) asked the House to address the issue as an emergency one.
Also speaking on the motion, the deputy minority leader, Hon. Toby Okechukwu(PDP, Enugu), in reminded the federal government about its promise to employ 100 million Nigerians in ten years.
He however wondered how the government intended to achieve that with agencies, not filling in vacancies in their offices.
Amending the motion, Hon. Leke Abejide (ADC-Kogi), that the Nigeria Customs Service should also lift its embargo on jobs. The amendment was welcomed and adopted.