The suspense created by administrative bottlenecks on the much awaited policy on the postal commission has given room for varied interpretations on the state of this document that has been embraced by all sundry as the tonic that will change the postal and courier sector and make it to be the pride of Nigerians just like what the NCC is doing in the telecoms sector.
Most stakeholders in the industry especially those outside the government circle are confused on the position of this document. While some are sure that the document is awaiting the action of the legislators on it, others argue that it is still with the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) while a great number of them can beat their chests that the document has moved further and is now in the domain of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for their action.
Expectations were also high that the Obasanjo administration which initiated the move to regulate the postal and courier sector was going to constitute the Board for the commission before handover for it to serve as a parting gift to the industry but that never came to be.
Pronouncements by government officials especially those from the Information and Communications ministry were so reassuring of government’s readiness in coming up with the commission to regulate the postal and courier sector. Newspaper headlines had screamed such possibility in the first quarter of this year that one never expected it would take up until this time before we see the commission come on board.
For whatever reason that is delaying the passage of this document; interests or bureaucratic bottlenecks, Yar’adua government should consider the interest of Nigerians and expedite action on this all important document especially when the commission is constituted is expected to enhance healthy and regulated competition in the postal and courier sector which will result to the emergence of a dynamic market that will meet the needs and aspirations of customers.
The present situation where the Courier Regulatory Department (CRD), an organ of NIPOST (a player the industry) is an umpire in the sector has been roundly criticized as an aberration which needs to be redressed immediately.
Such criticisms have also come from Nipost stakeholders themselves and they make no pretences about this. Sometime ago, Alhaji Mori Baba openly declared that Nipost had ‘’limitations because we operate as a regulator and operator the same time: those are parts of the restructuring that we’ve been talking to the government and National Assembly about. If we could find a way of solving this and moving forward between now and end of this administration (Obasanjo’s administration) so that we have a regulator, then we‘ll know we are the national operator. If we have problems, we’ll know where to go and there would be a regulator to intervene. But now who do you run to?
The gains of having an independent regulator are enormous. It will lead to job creation and tax generation to the government coffers as the commission will work to encourage local and foreign investments in the Nigerian postal industry as well as see that innovative services and practices are maintained in the industry in accordance with international best practices and trends.
Yar’adua government therefore must look into the matter and possibly do something to facilitate the passage of this legislation considering the overt and underlying gains such will bring to our economy.
