The Nigerian Navy is collecting the sum of N1,000 recruitment fee from applicants seeking to be enlisted into the Service, in spite of an existing directive by President Goodluck Jonathan against demanding money from job applicants.

President Goodluck Jonathan gave the directive in March following the Nigerian Immigration Service, NIS, recruitment saga, during which over 18 persons died and several others were injured.

The NIS job seekers had paid N1,000 application fee for the recruitment which is yet to be refunded as directed by the National Assembly.

The Nigerian Navy claims it is not aware of such a directive and hence would continue with its age-long tradition of demanding N1,000 from applicants.

The director of Information of the Navy, Kabiru Aliyu, said there was no secrecy about what it was doing regarding the fee paid for the recruitment.

He said that the N1,000 was meant to obtain the scratch card for access to the Service’s recruitment web page.

“We are not collecting cash. People pay through the bank and collect their scratch cards, you can check the advertisement,” Aliyu said.

When asked about the Presidential directive on the issue, Aliyu said, “I cannot answer that question.”

He further said the recruitment exercise was purely handled by the Service and not contracted to a consultant.

The Navy had advertised its 2014 recruitment exercise, stating that the online registration would take place between October 27 and November 30, 2014.

Applicants were required to apply online at the recruitment portal www.joinnigeriannavy.com, “using a recruitment e-voucher purchased with a bank card issued by any Nigerian bank or voucher purchased from any branch of Union Bank or Unity Bank nationwide at the sum of N1, 000 only.”