The Majority Leader of the Kano State House of Assembly, Lawan Hussaini Dala, has raised alarm over what he described as “gross injustice and imbalance” in the ongoing recruitment exercise of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
Speaking during plenary on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, Dala alleged that the recruitment exercise violated the principle of Federal Character and had been “designed to favour the South against the North.”
The lawmaker insisted that federal appointments and employment opportunities must reflect fairness and inclusivity. He accused the Customs Service of disregarding the constitutional mandate of the Federal Character Commission (FCC).
“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 that was saddled with the responsibility of ensuring equitable sharing of rights wasn’t considered,” Dala said.
South-West Gets Over Half of Total Slots
Breaking down the figures, Dala revealed that out of the 1,785 candidates recruited nationwide, states in the South-West cornered more than half of the total intake.
According to him, Lagos alone secured 207 slots, Ogun 145, Ondo 132, Osun 127, Oyo 108, while Ekiti, which he said is “not more than Nasarawa Local Government in Kano”, got 93 slots.
“In all, the South-West walked away with 812 slots, which is more than half of the total number of recruits across the entire country,” the lawmaker lamented.
North-West ‘Shortchanged’
Dala drew sharp comparisons with the allocations given to states in the North-West, which he described as “unacceptable and unjustifiable.”
“In the North-West, Kano got only 31, Katsina 20, Jigawa 18, and Zamfara 16. Altogether, the entire region got only about 7 per cent of the total number recruited,” he said.
The Majority Leader warned that the wide disparity amounted to deliberate marginalisation.
“Honourable Speaker, this is injustice, and if we keep quiet on issues like this, our people will continue to be cheated. The entire northern region was just left with 651 slots. If this continues, the Nigeria Customs Service in a few years to come will belong to a particular ethnicity or region,” he cautioned.
Dala warned that the imbalance in federal employment opportunities could fuel discontent, deepen regional mistrust, and threaten national unity if left unaddressed.
He added, “This injustice is capable of creating future problems. 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.”
The Majority Leader urged the Kano Assembly to escalate the matter to the National Assembly, the Federal Character Commission, and the Nigeria Customs Service to demand a review of the process.
He maintained that federal recruitments must reflect equitable distribution of opportunities in line with the spirit of unity and inclusiveness.
Other members of the House who spoke on the matter threw their weight behind Dala, insisting that corrective measures must be taken immediately. They urged northern lawmakers in the National Assembly to also take up the issue in Abuja.
The Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly commended the Majority Leader for bringing the matter before the House, describing it as “a patriotic move in defence of fairness and justice.”
He subsequently directed the relevant House Committee to investigate the recruitment figures and submit a detailed report for further legislative action.
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