Some personnel of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) who participated in the 2023 general elections have decried the non-payment of their allowances due to them.

Some of the personnel who spoke on condition of anonymity said they are yet to receive their allowance one year after the 2023 general elections were held.

The 2023 general elections were held on February 25 for the presidential and National Assembly elections, while the governorship and state assembly elections were conducted in March.
According to sources, a total of 3,138 Custom officers were deployed for election duties to complement the efforts of the Nigeria Police Force in 2023.

One of the personnel stated that the delay in paying them their due allowance amounted to wickedness, PUNCH reports.
The source said, “For over a year now, we have not been paid our allowances for being deployed for election duties during the 2023 general elections. Let them know it is wickedness for many of us to go through that kind of stress and not be paid our money. I know what I went through where I was posted. Anybody who has sat on our money should release it.”

Another personnel stated that it was unfair for them to still be owed while other security agents had already been paid their allowances.
“It is very unfair to owe us and not say anything about it. Our colleagues in other agencies have forgotten they have been paid their allowances. I still find it very hard to believe why ours have not arrived. Please help us tell them to pay our money,” the personnel lamented.

When contacted, the spokesperson for the Nigerian Customs Service, Abdullahi Maiwada, stated that the Nigeria Customs is not responsible for payment of election duty allowances.

He said: “Go and get your records very right; the Nigeria Customs does not pay and is not responsible for the payment of election duty allowances. Secondly, go and find out who is responsible for the payment of election duty allowances. The fact that I said we are not responsible for payment. How can you sit on what does not exist?”

When asked what efforts had been made to ensure the personnel were paid, given that they were deployed by the NCS he said, “You are trying to expand the scope of your question; can we just stay within the confines of the question you have asked, which I have answered?”
When the reporter insisted that the personnel were deployed by the NCS and that the service had a duty to help them get their money. In response, he said, “Whatever we are doing is not meant for public consumption.”