NIPOST Goes Tough On Saboteurs, Mail Rats

Internal and external Saboteurs have been warned to stop undermining the operations of the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) or face severe consequences   as the federal government will henceforth take tougher measures against such acts.

Chairman of the Governing Board of NIPOST, Isaac Kekemeke, issued this stern warning, while speaking to reporters on Monday at a retreat for NIPOST management staff in Abuja.

Kekemeke blamed the agency’s decline on what he described as the activities of “mail rats” and saboteurs, whose actions have undermined the organisation’s ability to contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s socio-economic development.

He decried years of inefficiency, poor reputation, and internal sabotage, which have left NIPOST in an appalling state, stressing that the agency is currently in the “Intensive Care Unit (ICU)” despite its immense potential.

He said further that President Bola Tinubu took a critical look at the agency and conducted a personal assessment of NIPOST, where he uncovered deep-rooted problems that have hindered its progress, which was why the president appointed him to chair the board in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda.

He emphasised the need for urgent reforms to align the agency with the administration’s vision for a revitalised public service.

“In all, it became apparent that the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) is a challenged organisation. Many Nigerians, albeit agreeing on the huge potentials of NIPOST as a national heritage and significant national infrastructure, expressed displeasure and disappointment with its performance. Most young men and women could not relate to or with NIPOST”, Kekemeke said.

He said the workshop was aimed at unveiling the vision of the board to the management and to discuss meaningful ways to address challenges facing the organisation. He emphasised that  urgent reforms would take place within NIPOST to enable it to become globally competitive and stand alongside other players like Royal Mail, Swiss Mail and Deutsche Postal Service among others.

The postmaster general and CEO of NIPOST, Tola Odeyemi  told reporters  that the appointment of Kekemeke by the President, was a testament of his  capacity, experience and leverage to change the narratives of NIPOST for the better.

Odeyemi said NIPOST has taken strategic steps to improve its diverse services to enable it contribute to national development and the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country.

She said NIPOST Express Mail Service (EMS) has increased by over 400 percent, while NIPOST in conjunction with the Universal Postal Union (UPU) have commenced initiatives to regain volumes of services lost to e-commerce giants across the globe and in Africa.

She outlined such services lost to designated operators like NIPOST as customs clearing, warehousing, and reverse logistics services, and assured that NIPOST is now on the verge of launching and delivering the services within the next couple of days.