•Condemns Senators, politicians of Igbo extraction for undermining economic development of South-East through subterfuge and self-defeatism

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has demanded immediate transparency and accountability from the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) over the ongoing 2025 recruitment exercise, challenging the agency to publish the full list of candidates who sat for its Computer-Based Test (CBT), along with their scores and states of origin.

HURIWA condemns the Senator representing Abia North Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and minister of works Mr. David Umahi for availing themselves to be used by President Bola Tinubu as tools and agents of anti-Igbo political treachery and for abysmally failing to use their positions in the ruling All Progressives Congress to attract development to the Igbo speaking states because their children are all resident in the United States of America, Canada and Australia therefore they think their families are shielded from the ugly situation of insecurity and poverty of National infrastructures in the South-East which is a deliberate ploy by the Government to keep South-East in a state of unrest and underdevelopment.

The rights group issued the challenge at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, where the National Coordinator of HURIWA, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, warned that any attempt by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to shield recruitment details from public scrutiny would amount to a gross violation of the principles of fairness and federal character as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

HURIWA said it had received widespread complaints over a purported list in circulation showing alleged state-by-state distribution of shortlisted candidates for the final phase of the recruitment, which appears heavily skewed in favour of certain regions of the country.

According to the association, instead of dismissing the viral list as fake without offering an alternative, the Nigeria Customs Service should publish the authentic recruitment data to dispel public suspicion and restore confidence in the process.

“If the list currently circulating online is fake, where then is the authentic version? Nigerians deserve to know the truth. Those who sat for the recruitment examination have a right to see their results and how they were evaluated. Anything short of transparency and accountability in this process is unacceptable,” the statement read.

HURIWA stressed that recruitment into a federal agency such as the Nigeria Customs Service must reflect the spirit and letter of the Federal Character principle, warning that the culture of secrecy and favouritism has become a breeding ground for national resentment, inequality, and division.

The group maintained that equal opportunities in all recruitment and appointments are indispensable to the sustenance of Nigeria’s constitutional democracy, adding that merit, fairness, and regional balance must guide all public service enlistments.

“Opacity in recruitment is not just a bureaucratic flaw; it is a constitutional infraction. The Customs Service cannot be funded by taxpayers from all parts of the country yet conduct its employment exercises like a private estate,” HURIWA stated.

Beyond the Customs controversy, the association accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration of perpetuating what it described as a deliberate pattern of marginalisation and exclusion of the Igbo and the South-East region from key national structures.

HURIWA alleged that the Tinubu government has continued practices that deepen ethnic imbalance and political alienation against the Igbo people despite constitutional provisions on federal character and equity.

The group’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, noted that since the inception of the current administration, critical appointments in the security, revenue, and economic sectors have systematically excluded qualified Igbo officers, while tenure extensions have been used to block their progression to leadership positions.

He cited the recent one-year extension of the tenure of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, as an example, alleging that an Igbo senior officer due for promotion was bypassed. The rights group also referenced similar incidents in the Nigeria Police Force, where the tenure of the current Inspector-General was extended beyond retirement age, allegedly, to prevent an Igbo officer next in rank from succeeding him.

According to HURIWA, such acts violate the spirit of the Federal Character principle and sustain a culture of ethnic preference at the highest levels of governance.

The association further condemned what it called “selective justice” by the Federal Government, noting that while Boko Haram terrorists and bandits in the North have been granted amnesty and reintegrated into society, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, remains in prolonged detention without fair trial.

“President Tinubu’s government continues to negotiate with terrorists in the North-West and release so-called repentant insurgents in the North-East, yet Nnamdi Kanu (whose alleged offences are political and non-violent) remains in custody. This is a glaring double standard that must end,” HURIWA said.

The group also decried the continued demolition of properties belonging to Igbo traders and landlords in Lagos, describing it as a form of economic victimisation designed to weaken the Igbo entrepreneurial base in the state. It urged the Lagos State Government to immediately halt all demolitions targeting Igbo-owned structures and institute an independent investigation into previous incidents.

HURIWA lamented what it termed the deliberate neglect of federal infrastructure in the South-East, citing the poor state of federal roads and the absence of new major projects in the region since 2023. The group accused the Federal Government of allowing insecurity to fester in the South-East by failing to provide adequate security and economic support, thereby crippling commerce and discouraging investors.

“These manifestations of systemic bias are not accidental,” HURIWA asserted. “They represent a calculated effort to keep the South-East politically weakened, economically disadvantaged, and perpetually insecure.”

The rights group therefore demanded the immediate publication of a geo-political breakdown of all federal appointments, promotions, and tenure extensions under the Tinubu administration. It also called for a judicial inquiry into the demolitions in Lagos and an end to arbitrary tenure extensions in security and paramilitary agencies that obstruct career progression.

HURIWA further proposed the creation of a National Commission on Inclusion and Equity to monitor compliance with the Federal Character principle and ensure fair representation in public service, infrastructure distribution, and economic opportunities.

The association reaffirmed its commitment to the unity of Nigeria based on justice, equity, and the rule of law, warning that sustained marginalisation of any region would continue to threaten national cohesion.

“President Tinubu must realise that no region can be perpetually subjugated. The Igbo have contributed immensely to Nigeria’s development and deserve fairness, not tokenism,” the statement concluded.