Only some few days back, we revealed Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu's plans to revamp NIPOST – the regulatory body for postal services in Nigeria – like a business.
It would in fact be forgiveable if the minister's concept of "transformation" was misinterpreted to mean privatization especially given the typical under performing nature of many government's managed businesses in the county. While such was the case on this trajectory curve, the minister however has staunchly dispelled any notion that implies a possible privatization or transfer of assets and equity to foreigners under his administration. The minister asserted that, as a committed compatriot, his administration would ensure that NIPOST will be transformed such that it will contribute significantly to the federation account.
In clear terms, the minister stated that, “our attention has been drawn to various insinuations making the rounds on the social media and a section of the Nigerian press to the effect that the Ministry of Communications was said to have concluded plans to hand over NIPOST to foreigners to manage”
He adds “such transformation will no doubt, entail diversification of services which will include rendering robust and all-inclusive financial services, utilising post offices across the country for rural telephony services, commercialising NIPOST’s fleet of vehicles, running a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and expansion of the stamp duties processes among others.”
The minister’s special assistant on media also echoed Adebayo Shittu’s sentiment, saying “our attention has been drawn to various insinuations making the rounds on the social media and a section of the Nigerian press to the effect that the Ministry of Communications was said to have concluded plans to hand over NIPOST to foreigners to manage. Ordinarily, we would have ignored the innuendos, as there is no iota of truth in the said story, except for the likelihood of Nigerians being misled on our genuine intentions to re-position and revitalize NIPOST. In putting the records straight, the government of the day has no plan whatsoever to neither privatize NIPOST nor hand it over to foreigners to manage. This could only happen in the imagination of those who concorted and orchestrated the rumour to achieve only their inordinate mischief”
How comforting. I’m sure you’re probably thinking the same as well, but we just hope at the end of the day it won’t amount to an “all talk and no action” scenario which wouldn't quite come as a surprise as many are already used to such.
