The Minister
of Communications, Abdur-Raheem Adebayo Shittu, has called on the National
Assembly to expedite action in deliberating, and subsequently passing the
Postal Reform Bill, and other related bills pending before it, aiming at
restructuring the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST).
Shittu made
the urgent call while launching two documents: Restructuring and Modernising
Nigerian Postal Service, and NIPOST Vision 2020, and inaugurating a steering
committee for NIPOST reform in his office on Monday.
He said
Government needed the collaboration and synergy of the lawmakers to deliver on
its campaign promises to Nigerians by expediting actions on bills targeted at
social reformation of the Nigerian society, one of which is the services
provided by NIPOST.
The minister
charged the lawmakers to give the bill serious attention, saying: “we will
appreciate that the bill is considered expeditiously important to the
socio-economic policy thrust of the Muhammadu Buhari administration.”
He explained
that the Bill seeks the amendment of all the existing postal services laws, to
give effect to the recommendations of the NethPost Consultancy of The
Netherlands, and all other interest groups that worked with the Ministry,
NIPOST, and other stakeholders in the reforms.
Noting that
the reforms are not part of the APC campaign promises, he said he initiated
NIPOST’s reposition, one of the oldest public institutions to be widely
accepted in terms of efficient and effective postal services delivery, to be
socially relevant, economically viable and internationally acceptable.
He said the
objectives of the Postal Sector Reform Plan, is premised on establishing a low
cost universal postal service that provides a solid communication medium and
link nationwide. Others are to provide a safe and efficient postal service that
is sustainable, and abreast with developments in the rest of the world;
introduce private sector participation and the development of the postal
service into a commercially viable entrepreneurial conglomerate. This will
create a convenient means of savings mobilisation and payment/funds transfer
system for the entire country through the postal network.
To operate
on a commercial driven orientation, Shittu said the reform will unbundle NPOST
to profit-driven subsidiaries such as; NIPOST Digital Financial Services
Limited (PostBank); NIPOST Property &Development Company Limited; NIPOST
Transport and Logistics Limited; NIPOST Merchandising Limited (e-Commerce); and
NIPOST General Services Support Limited (e-Government).
The Post
Master General and Chief Executive Officer of NIPOST, Bisi Adegbuyi, commended
the present administration for its determination to drive the reformation
process to a logical conclusion, particularly Shittu for his concerted efforts
to change the trajectory of NIPOST.
He added
that NIPOST management in the interim has tinkered with the reform through
certain restructuring steps.“It is in this spirit, therefore, that the new
management of Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) crafted this four-year strategic
plan (NIPOST Vision 2020, from 2017-2020), to guide the implementation. In
considering the contents of the various documents, however, it is obvious that
there are programmes that can be implemented in the short term in accordance with
government policy, while others can only be implemented in the long-run after
the passage of the Postal Sector Reform Bill into law,” he said.
After
launching the two documents, the minister inaugurated a steering committee that
will lead the reformation process with the Permanent Secretary in the ministry,
Sonny Echono as chairman, Adegbuyi as vice-chairman, and the Special Adviser,
Digital Resources, to the Minister, Akeem Yusuf as secretary. Others include
two members each from the ministry (Directors of ICT and Telecoms & Postal
Services) and NIPOST; one representative each from the Central Bank of Nigeria,
Bureau of Public Enterprises, and Special Assistant, NPOST, to the Minister.
Echono,
promised that members of the committee will give the assignment all the
necessary attention and seriousness it deserves, and deliver on the mandate of
its task in due time.
Guardian
0 Comments