The Nation Newspaper

Tag: NIPOST

  • Insurgency affects NIPOST’s finances

    Insurgency affects NIPOST’s finances

    The continuous activities of the members of the Boko Haram sect in the Northeast of the country have adversely affected the financial profile of the Nigerian Postal Services (NIPOST) and the movement of mails and other postal services.

    The service has also suffered because of the number of retirees who  served the agency and disrupted the operations of the service which equally affected the earnings of the service in the past one year.

    Speaking in Umuahia, Abia State capital, during the Southeast zonal merit award ceremony for deserving staff of the service, the Post Master General (PMG) Mallam Ibrahim Mori Baba said that despite the challenges, they have been able to forge ahead through the efforts of the dutiful staff.

    The PMG said, “These challenges notwithstanding, you demonstrated unalloyed commitment to duty and undaunted resolved to move the organisation forward through improving on your services to our numerous customers”.

    The PMG who was represented by the deputy DPMG mails, Leonard Nwankwo said that the zonal awards programme has been made a yearly event, “Because of management’s belief that it will impact on the morale of staff and also boost productivity”.

    Baba noted that the award programme has also generated intense and healthy competition among the staff and bringing out the best in them in terms of innovations and better ways of improving on the productivity level of all levels of staff in the service.

    He said that the occasion of the award programme is based on the belief of the NIPOST that their staffers are their greatest asset, which is the reason behind the management idea to introduce the programme as a way of showing gratitude to the staff who had distinguished themselves in their various duties.

    The PMG told them that management had continued to explore ways of improving on the condition o the workers, which they has exemplified in the recent payment of outstanding bonuses owed to staff, “Despite our precarious financial condition”.

    Baba regretted that some of the staff have refused to change their ugly attitude to work, “Like coming to work late, loitering around from office to office peddling rumors, counter officers eating while at the counter and exhibiting rudeness and lack of courtesy to our customers”.

    Earlier in his welcome speech, the Area Postal Manager, Abia territory, Ignatius Umeadi said that the employee reward is a monetary or non monetary recognition that an organisation provides to its employees in order to express appreciation form good performance or behaviour.

    Umeadi said that it is also a systematic approach to employee rewarding, which is a part of corporate strategy which stands for continual rising of the performance level of the whole organisation.

    He said, “The token gifts that will be presented to you today are not intended to compensate your hard work, but to serve as symbolic tonic to stimulate and motivate you to work harder, while those who did not make it should work harder to make it next time”.

    On the reason for choosing the war museum for the occasion, Umeadi said, “This venue was chosen especially for those who are not from this territory and who were not born or were too young during the civil war to use the opportunity to see and know about the 30-month civil war”.

  • No going back on Aramex’s ban, says NIPOST

    No going back on Aramex’s ban, says NIPOST

    The Federal Government has said it is not going to rescind its decision to ban Aramex International Limited, over its alleged indictment for unethical practices and maneuvering of the nation’s courier companies.

    Following the ban, the Jordan-based courier firm, a subsidiary of Global Distribution Alliance (GDA), has been stopped from undertaking courier business either directly or indirectly through any courier firm registered with the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST).

    The Assistant Postmaster-General of the Federation and Head, Courier Regulatory Department of NIPOST, Dr. Simon Emeje, who spoke in Lagos, said NIPOST would enforce the ban in accordance with the Postal Act Cap. 127 Law of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, to sanitise and ensure a level playing field in the courier industry.

    He said: “We are empowered by the Act to regulate the activities of courier companies, amongst other responsibilities. So, we thereby notify all courier operators in Nigeria and the public that Aramex International LLC Ltd has been banned from undertaking courier business either directly or indirectly through any courier company registered with NIPOST.”

    He recalled that Aramex transacts courier business outside Nigeria and had entered franchise agreement with some registered courier companies in Nigeria at different times.

    He said the ban however became imperative as a result of incessant reports of unethical practices including breaches of agreement, non-payment of cost of clearance and delivery of shipments, transacting courier business with other courier companies without recourse to contractual agreement despite the fact that the franchise agreement is exclusive and non-transferable, among other issues.

    “Aramex has been placed under surveillance and you are required to report to the Courier Regulatory Department if you notice any courier business undertaken by Aramex for our further action,” he admonished courier operators.

    Managing Director, ABX World and country representatives of Aramex International Limited, Captain John Okpaku, said his firm lost close to $6 million while doing business with Aramex.

    He said ABX World had entered into franchise with Aramex International as a member of GDA, lamenting that Aramex failed to keep to its part of the agreement thus leading to the collapse of the agreement.

    He said: “We must protect our people. We must protect Nigeria’s sovereignty. Nobody should come here and dictate how we operate to us. Aramex at a time was bragging that nobody can restrict them from bringing parcels to Nigeria.

    “Though as the representatives of Aramex International in Nigeria, we are not going to remain a party to people that do not recognise or respect laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    “In the course of doing business with Aramex we lost about $6 million and paid $8,000 annual dues to GDA. We wanted to take up legal actions against them but when we learnt that another Nigerian company had entered into agreement with them; in spite that our agreement was not transferable, we assumed it could portray brother fighting themselves.

    “So, as representatives of Aramex International in Nigeria we are reaffirming CRD, NIPOST and Federal Government’s position on the matter.”

    Dr. Emeje, the CRD Boss, consequently warned courier companies licensed by NIPOST not to enter into business agreement or transacts courier business with Aramex, as they stand to lose their operating licenses.

     

  • Police smash four-man gang in dividend warrants scam

    Police smash four-man gang in dividend warrants scam

    •One arrested for duping applicants

    Anambra State Command of the State Security Service (SSS) has arrested four persons, who allegedly specialise in diverting and cashing the dividend warrants of unsuspecting shareholders.

    Among their victims are Senator Uche Chukwumerije, Prof. Ifedayo Olawale Oladipo, Rev. Uma Ukpai, United Bank for Africa (UBA), Oando Plc, among others.

    The suspects are Cletus Chris Ohaegbulem (aka Chris Ohams), Emmanuel Mbakwe, Yahaya Anifowoshe and Mojeed Babatunde.

    They were arrested by the command in Lagos, Asaba in Delta State and Umuahia in Abia State.

    Also apprehended was a 30-year-old suspect, Chukwunonso Emeghalu, from Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State, for allegedly duping people, promising to help them get employment in the SSS.

    Parading the suspects yesterday, the State Director of SSS, Mr. Alex Okeiyi, warned the public to be wary of fraudsters claiming to be agents of any organisation or working for the SSS, either in the state or elsewhere.

    He said the four suspects specialised in stealing the dividend warrants of unsuspecting shareholders from NIPOST, Falomo, Lagos, and cashing them in banks.

    Okeiyi said they would be handed over to the relevant agency for investigation.

    He said Ohaegbulem (43) from Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State had been a notorious fraudster, who maintained multiple identities, which he used in opening fictitious bank accounts to dupe unsuspecting victims before he was arrested in Asaba.

    Okeiyi said 194 dividend warrants belonging to unsuspecting shareholders were recovered from him, among them that of Rev Uma Ukpai.

    Answering reporters’ questions, Ohaegbulem confessed to have connived with the manager of a micro-finance bank in Umuahia , now at large and the operations manager to cash the dividend warrants through a spurious company, Access Enterprises Ltd, which he set up to perpetrate the act.

    He also confessed to have swindled many through non-existent contracts in the Ebonyi State Government House, Abakaliki, posing as a top official of the government.

    Anifowoshe (45), a trader on Lagos Island, said he supplied dividend warrants to Ohaegbulem.

    He told reporters that he was approached by Mr. Chisom last year to source dividend warrants for him. This, according to him, made him approach Mosheed Babatunde, a NIPOST, Falomo, Lagos worker to source items and compensations were paid to him.

  • NIPOST workers give strike notice

    NIPOST workers give strike notice

    THE National Union of Postal and Telecommunications Employment (NUPTE) has given the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) a notice of its three-day warning strike scheduled to start next Wednesday.

    In a letter by its Acting General Secretary, Comrade Onakpo Chris, to the Post-Master General, Malam Ibrahim Mori Baba, the workers accused the management of NIPOST of insensitivity.

    They are seeking the implementation of the “payment of rent enhancement to staff and transfer allowance as well as the payment of the 2006 productivity incentive to all staff”.

    The workers claimed that their years of negotiations failed to yield any result.

    Also, they decried the non-payment of repatriation allowance to retiring workers.

    The union said its National Administrative Council would take further necessary action if by the end of the warning strike workers’ grievances were not addressed.

    “It is worthy of note that we have done all we could these past few years, using every peaceful apparatus to make management see reasons with us why our welfare should be made a priority and our demands met,” the union said.

    The letter which was also forwarded to all state councils of NUPTE accused NIPOST of refusing to implement the “payment of rent enhancement to allstaff and transfer allowance as well as the payment of the 2006 productivity incentive to all staff.”

    NUPTE argued that years of negotiations have failed to yield any result on the issue of paying commensurate salaries to those promoted with some still receiving previous salaries two years after promotion.

    Also in contention is the non-payment of repatriation allowance to retiring workers.

    The union said that its National Administrative Council would take further necessary action if by the end of the warning strike workers’ grievances were not addressed.

    “It is worthy of note that we have done all we could these past few years, using every peaceful apparatus to make management see reasons with us why our welfare should be made a priority and our demands met,” the union said.

  • Tanker crashes into NIPOST office

    •One killed, cars damaged

    It was a gory sight yesterday when a petrol tanker in Owerri, the Imo State capital, lost control and crushed a cart pusher after it ran into NIPOST office.

    The unidentified cart pusher was off-loading items from a parked Golf car near the Owerri General Post Office when the petrol tanker driver ran him over.

    The petrol tanker, with registration number XD929WER, was coming from Okigwe Road and heading to Douglas Road.

    When our reporter visited the scene, men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) from Owerri Municipal Council secretariat, opposite the post office had cordoned off the area to shielding the crowd from the gory sight.

    The car, with Ebonyi State registration number AKL629AA, was crushed beyond recognition while the cart driver was squeezed in the boot.

    An eyewitness, Solomon Nwaiwu, said the driver lost control and wanted to use the median as a wedge but unfortunately the vehicle skidded off the gutter.

    “I was about to cross when I saw the driver struggling with the vehicle. I shouted. Before I could finish the accident had occurred.”

    The body of the cart pusher has been deposited at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owerri.

    Police spokesperson Mrs. Joy Elemoko confirmed the incident.

     

  • Budget Office, PenCom accused of delaying NIPOST pensioners’ payment

    The National Pension Commission (PenCom),the Budget Office and the Bureau for Public Service Reform (BPRS), have been accused of delaying the payment of severance benefits of Nigeria Postal Services (NIPOST) workers.

    A source told The Nation in Lagos, that a committee set up to harmonise the pension of the retirees with the leadership of the National Union of Pensioners (NUP) has submitted the report. The source lamented that the Budget Office and PenCom were foot-dragging on the payment of the aged retirees.

    “You are aware that the pension fund is a central fund. It is an issue of the Budget Office. It is an issue of the Federal Government. PenCom is involved, BPRS is also invovled because some people left the service through its reform process. All these agencies have a hand in computing the names of people entitled to pension,” the source said, adding that it was high time the relevant agencies lived up to their responsibilities.

    The Assistant Postmaster General, Territorial Operations, Yacim Bitiyong, confirmed to The Nation that a committee was set up, adding that all the data have been collated from BPRS. “They have been verified territorially,” he said.

    He explained that part of the problem was the delay in collating the data of the retirees. Bitiyong said: “If you remember since 2006-2007, because of the reform, there were changes in schedule. You could not have gone beyond level eight if you don’t have a degree or higher national diploma (HND) or a diploma and (you could not have gone) beyond level 14 if you do not have a degree or higher diploma. So, the post office had a good number of such people and they left the service. You can imagine many of them were strong able bodied men/women.

    “If you watch what is happening, you will discover that the (people protesting) are people who appear physically strong, but because they didn’t meet the qualification required, they have to go. You can imagine that they are aggrieved. We sympatise with them.We are laising with the Budget Office to pay them off.”

    According to him, the union leadership was involved because they know many of the people that were retired. “They are very senior citizens in terms of position. But, particularly, in the last few months, for some reasons, they have become worried about what their entitlement is and they felt they have to change tactics. You know we have faced a lot of problems concerning pension in the country. This has led to the president setting up committee to solve the problem. But the retirees are saying they are not ready to wait for that committee and there is not much we can do other than to continue to appeal to them,” Bitiyong said.

  • Protesting NIPOST ex-workers paralyse activities over unpaid benefits

    Protesting NIPOST ex-workers paralyse activities over unpaid benefits

    •Govt processing N1.7b entitlements, says NIPOST

     

    Retired workers of the Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST) yesterday disrupted activities at the headquarters of the Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST), Area 11, Abuja.

    The ex-workers were protesting the non-payment of their entitlements.

    The protesters, who came with foods, bags of pure (sachet) water as well as personal effects, blocked the main entrance of NIPOST headquarters, carrying placards with various inscriptions.

    They vowed not leave until their benefits were paid.

    They accused the management of NIPOST of neglecting them after they had earlier tabled their demands before the Postmaster General of the Federation, Malam Ibrahim Mori Baba.

    Aminu Adamu, leader of the protesters, who is also the Vice-Chairman of the Kaduna State chapter of the National Union of Pensioners, NIPOST chapter, quoted the Postmaster General of the Federation as saying that the benefits would be paid when the budget is passed, noting that nothing has been done since February when they (pensioners) held a meeting with him.

    He said they would not leave the NIPOST headquarters until their demands are met, adding that the protest is a warning as other branches of the union will join nationwide.

    Said he: “NIPOST management has refused to pay us our benefits: arrears, pension, severance salary, harmonisation and others since 2011.

    “The 2011 salary has not been paid to us as I’m talking to you. We are all retired workers; those who retired in 1997, 2004, 2005 and 2007 are all here.”

    Addressing reporters on the demands of the protesters, the Postmaster General said actions are being taken by the NIPOST management to ensure that the pensioners’ entitlements are paid.

    The Assistant Postmaster General, Territorial Operations, Yacim Bitiyong, said the NIPOST management expressed surprise at the protest, noting that his team held a meeting with the leadership of the National Union of Pensioners, NIPOST chapter, last week over the demands of the pensioners.

    He said a circular was issued at the end of the meeting. He expressed surprise about the protest, which according to him, ought not to have come up.

    The Postmaster General said NIPOST was aware of the contentious nature of pension in the country and lamented that the organisation incurred loss that ran into millions of naira when aggrieved pensioners shut down its offices nationwide.

    He, however, assured that the Federal Government would ensure that pension-related problems were solved.

    The Senior Assistant Postmaster General, Pension Administration, Habila Tanko, said the severance allowances of NIPOST, right-sized in 2006, have been paid, noting that those shortchanged in the payment exercise would be adequately paid.

    He said the N1.7billion budgeted for the payment of entitlements of the pensioners is with the Budget Office, adding that NIPOST has facilitated the processes that will lead to the payment.

  • Court adjourns hearing in El-Rufai’s case

    Court adjourns hearing in El-Rufai’s case

    The Federal Capital Territory High Court on Thursday adjourned hearing to May 7 in a case of alleged irregular land allocation and abuse of office brought against Nasir El-Rufai by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

    The adjournment was to enable El-Rufai’s Counsel, Mr. Kanu Agabi (SAN), to certify the document to be tendered.

    Agabi had earlier craved the indulgence of the court to tender a copy of an agreement letter entered into by the Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST) and Rosehill Group for the development of the post office site in Maitama.

    Prosecution Counsel, Mr. Adebayo Adelodun (SAN), opposed the admissibility of the document, saying the document was not properly tendered before the court.

    “My lord, we oppose the admissibility of this document and the defence counsel ought to have certified this document before coming to court because you know what you are coming to defend in court.

    “You should have certified your entire documents; so we oppose this,’’ Adelodun said.

    Both counsel, however, agreed on a short adjournment after exhaustive argument on the admissibility of the document.

    At the resumed hearing, Prosecution witness, Arch. Adeyeye Olu, who was Deputy Post Master-General of NIPOST, told the court that plot 3350, which was formally known as plot 3776, located in Maitama District, belonged to NIPOST.

    He said that NIPOST applied for and got allocation of the plot from the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) in 1994.

    “We went to FCDA and verified if the plot was allocated to any organisation before we applied and it was confirmed that the land was not allocated to anybody.

    “We wrote application for allocation to the FCDA and we made all necessary payments, and in 1994, the plot was formally allocated to NIPOST.

    “We submitted our certificate to FCDA for the approval of our building plan and paid all necessary fees; I have a copy of the approval slip and the payment slip of Aso savings,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the prosecution witness as saying at the hearing.

    He said that he had a copy of the application letter and the letter of allocation which the authority issued to NIPOST.

    Olu further explained that the reason why NIPOST was unable to develop the plot as at that time was as a result of economic down-turn experienced in the organisation.

     

  • Fed Govt okays N1.7b for NIPOST pensioners

    Fed Govt okays N1.7b for NIPOST pensioners

    Protesting pensioners of the Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST) may soon enjoy the benefits of their labour. This is because the Federal Government has promoised to pay them their entitlements.

    The Postmaster-General of the Federation, Alhaji Mori Baba, who made this known, said the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation is working on the payment.

    He lamented that NIPOST pensioners last month shut the organisation’s offices nationwide to protest the non-payment of their pensions.

    He said: “We eventually signed an agreement on January 27 on the payment of their claims. The figure is about N1.7 billion and the Office of the Accountant-General is working towards paying them as soon as possible.”

    Baba said the Federal Government had accepted to clear the backlog of arrears, saying the problem of non-payment of regular pension was not restricted to NIPOST.

    “This is because the Federal Government is responsible for the payment of pensions and not NIPOST,” he said.

    Speaking on the Central Bank of Nigeria’s newly introduced Financial Inclusion Strategy, he urged NIPOST staff to ensure its successful implementation billed for Borno State.

    Baba said NIPOST is expected to serve as the scheme’s major agent.

    According to him, the scheme is aimed at providing access to financial services for the less-privileged.

    He stressed the need for the staff of NIPOST to work hard to justify the government’s investment in the scheme.

    Baba said the management was working on plans to train the staff on the scheme.

    “We will also try as much as possible to update our equipment subject to availability of funds,”he said.

    He added that the management was looking at possibilities of introducing some incentives to the staff to motivate them.

     

     

  • NIPOST pensioners protest in Abia

    Retirees of the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) yesterday protested the non-payment of their 45 months’ arrears at Asa Road, Aba, Abia State.

    The protesters locked the entrance to the premises, thereby restricting the movement of people to and from the compound.

    Some of their placards carried various inscriptions, such as: “Alhaji Mori Baba, Postmaster-General, pay NIPOST retirees their 45 months’ pension arrears; Pensioners are suffering and dying of hunger”, among others.

    Secretary of the retirees, Mr Obijiaku Ogemdi, told reporters that they were obeying directives from their national body to pressurise NIPOST management to pay their arrears.

    He said: “Right now, they (national leaders of the retirees) are holding a meeting with the management. We are waiting for their instructions. If the meeting ends favourably, they will tell us to open the gate; and definitely we will obey.

    “Until they finish the meeting, the gates will remain locked. Even the serving workers are not happy. They are in sympathy with us about the way we are being treated. They know that if nothing happens, it will be their turn someday.”