NIPOST Revokes 8 Licenses

Following series of petitions and tip off by members of the public, the Courier Regulatory Department (CRD), the regulatory arm of the Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST), has clamped-down on “Up I Swear God” transport Company, based in Lagos for alleged illegal operations.

According to Dr. Simon Emeje, senior assistant postmaster general of the Federation and head of CRD, the surveillance team of CRD approached the Company owned by one Mr. Lasisi Gbadegesi who resides in Lome, Togo and delivers courier business along the West Coast, and called the Regulator a bluff even after several by enteritis by other operators.

Similarly, NIPOST through CRD revoked licenses of eight (8) courier operators for different reasons. 

Emeje said that, CRD recently received a petition against the Company from a supposed customer (name withheld) who lost over N2million worth of goods while transacting courier business with “Up I Swear God”.

Briefing the press immediately after clamping down on the operator’s office, Emeje alleged that, “They deceive innocent Nigerians that they are genuinely licensed to run courier between Lagos, Nigeria and some West African countries like Benin Republic, Togo, Ivory Coast up to Senegal.

“Because they are not licensed, customer’s goods may be tampered with. We have received a letter of petition from a customer who has lost almost two million naira (N2million) worth of goods in this regard. This report sparked the surveillance unit to verifying the mode of operations and eventual clampdown

“When our surveillance team approached them, “Up I Swear God” operators boasted that hence they have Customs permit, no other registration was necessarily. Therefore, they carried on with their businesses. We discovered that the way they operate, no member of the public will have evidence against them, because the receipt they offered you at the commencement of the transaction will be collected when you want to collect your parcel at the destination. This kind of practice is unhealthy for the industry,” he said.

He urged members of the public to be weary of illegal courier operators. According to him, unlicensed courier operators are enemies of the economy and should not be allowed to kill the industry.

CRD also announced the revocation of licenses of eight (8) courier operators for reasons such as non-renewal of operating licenses and unethical practices.

Emeje said that by this revocation, the number of courier operators in the country as at November 2015 is two hundred and sixty-seven (267).

Speaking further, Emeje sought Government’s intervention, especially the 8th National Assembly by way of legislating on Independent Postal Regulatory Authority.

The Bill, the Senior Assistant Postmaster General said, was attempted to be passed by both the 6th and 7th Assembly but failed.

He said that other Bills sent since 2004 alongside the Postal Reform Bill have since received accelerated passage.

“The backing we need from the Federal Government is to legislate on this Bill to give CRD more biting teeth. We cannot allow illegal operators to be cruising while the legal operators are there. So, the best approach is to pass the Bill which the 6th and 7th Assembly attempted to pass. It will inject live and vigour to the system,” he said.

Emeje, however debunked the claims by some operators that the licensing and renewal fees were too much and unachievable by the present economic indices.

To this claim, he said, “No courier firm should make such claim that the fees are too much, because NIPOST has been magnanimous enough to them. For over 12 years, NIPOST was the only Government Agency to maintain the same renewal fee for the operators under its supervision. Both the domestic and international operators paid N250,000.

“When the review was done in done in 2013, the domestic operators were meant to pay N750,00; they complained and the amount was reduced to N500,000. Yet, they felt it was not economically viable for them, NIPOST listened and reduced it to N350,000, per annum. Now, the international operators were supposed to pay N2million, but was reduced to N1.5million. Looking at this, one can agree that NIPOST has been a listening Body. So, nobody is expected to cite the renewal fees as reasons for not doing the needful. How about those that refuse to keep to the industry standards? This industry must be sanitized for the good of everybody.