Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) has explained the reasons why it is clamping down on illegal and unlicensed courier and logistics operators in Enugu State.
The Courier and Logistics Regulatory Department (CLRD) team of NIPOST, began the enforcement operations by sealing offices of unlicensed operators and confiscating some motorbikes belonging to illegal and unlicensed operators.
It was gathered that some of the affected operators had been issued with demand notices since 2023, with them not showing any interest in complying with the provisions of the law.
Gideon Shonde, general manager, CLRD, who spoke to newsmen during the exercise in Enugu, said NIPOST was enforcing its regulatory mandates with the exercise, which he said was necessary to sanitize the sector especially as the Postal, Express, Courier and Logistics industry in Nigeria had been proliferated and infiltrated with so many unlicensed and illegal courier and logistics operators, posing serious threats to Nigerians.
While disclosing that he and his team had visited Enugu before now with compliance level still very low, he lamented that there had been unethical practices, such as price undercutting, pilfering, broaching, damages, loss and dumping of customers items, poaching and subletting of operating licenses with a mountain of public complaints about customers being duped or obtaining money from them under pretences, no traceable office address nor registered brand name.
Shonde pointed out the issue of public safety and security threats, due to carriage of illicit drugs and prohibited items like small arms and ammunition, guns, gold, monies, and obscene items, among other illicit items.
He, however, said any interested private investors into the Postal, Express, Courier and Logistics business should follow due process and obtain a grant of operating Licenses from the Federal Government.
He advised that they should obtain a grant of Operating License from the NIPOST postmaster general as stipulated by the extant laws or risk facing the full wrath of the law, and prosecution.