The draft law that will give legal backing to the National Postal Policy is entangled in web of claims and counter charges that may frustrate early passage of the all important law that will rejig the postal industry, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek investigations can now reveal.
Opinions are varied as to what has actually become of this important document fuelling speculations that some interests are out to frustrate the draft law.
The idea of the National Postal Policy was muted in 2005 and since then the document has gone back and forth the operators, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), National Assembly and Nigeria Postal Service (Nipost) which also doubles as the apex regulator of the industry.
Operators are accused of not sending back their inputs to the draft laws, BPE under Mrs. Irene Chigbue, its immediate past director general is said to be in hurry to conclude the privatization of Nipost, while the National Assembly is pointing fingers on the ministry of information for the delay.
Elsewhere, the federal government appears reluctant to un-bundle Nipost believing that the national carrier can still play nationalistic role like its counterparts in the world.
Toyin Olufade, president of the Association of Nigeria Courier Operators (Anco) said that the initial delay was because stakeholders were not taken along in the scheme of things including the labour.
Labour now included as well as harmonization of some grey areas, Olufade said that most of his association’s members have returned their own inputs to the BPE.
BPE however said that as soon as all the inputs are received that it will expedite action on the document.
Joe Chigbo Anichebe, head, public affairs, BPE, told Nigeria CommunicationsWeek that “if you we get their inputs, it will take us about two weeks to go through and pass it to the Federal Executive Council for approval”
The draft policy will be approved by the Federal Executive Council while the draft law will be passed by the National Assembly to give legal backing to draft National Postal Policy.
Senator Sylvester Anyanwu, chairman, Senate committee on communications however told Nigeria Communications that the National Assembly was eagerly awaiting the return of the document and promised to accelerate the passage of the bill.
