Simon Ateba is Chief White House Correspondent for Today News Africa. Simon covers President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, the U.S. government, the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and other financial and international institutions in Washington D.C. and New York City.
He walks fast as if he was late to work or about to miss a crucial deadline. He inspects everything, greets every staff he can and tells them the task of making the Nigerian Postal Services profitable is one that must be accomplished under his leadership.
Nigeria’s newly appointed Postmaster General Dr. Ismail Adebayo Adewusi is a man in a hurry to get things done.
He, however, faces a herculean task – to bring back the old memories of a postal service that works, the way it did before the arrival of emails, GSMs, and the Internet with all its attractions and distractions.
On Thursday, 61-year old Adewusi, a former Commissioner of Finance under former governor of Lagos State Bola Tinubu, embarked on a NIPOST facility tour in Lagos.
Along with top management staff of NIPOST, Mr. Adewusi said President Muhammadu Buhari has mandated the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy to raise NIPOST to global standards in delivering quality services to its customers.
Facilities inspected on the first day of the tour which would run for two days included the International Mail Processing Centre, NAHCO Centre at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Post Office Oshodi, General Post Office, Marina, Philately Department, NIPOST Lafiaji, and the NIPOST courier services regulatory centre, Lagos Island.
In company with the NIPOST CEO was the Chief Operating Officer, Mrs. Nwakanma Loreto.
A statement quoted Adewusi as saying that it would amount to self-delusion to pretend there were no challenges facing the organization, adding that it’s only in facing those challenges that they would be surmounted.
He’s right. Many young Nigerians no longer know what a post office looks like. With Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, GSM services and all the new forms of communication that keep them busy, the new generation uses a postal service when extremely necessary, which is rare.
The trend seems to be everywhere, including in the United States, where fewer people send old types of mails or write letters, the old way.
But Adewusi is not discouraged in the face of real challenges. He said he was in Lagos to get first hand information on the state of the infrastructure and the operations of the company with a view to delivering on the mandate he has to breath life into the organization.
“President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Pantami have expressed their readiness to support us in order to attain the status of a world class service delivery company.
“This is because NIPOST has great roles to play in the realization of a digital economy.
“We want to be able to operate at the same wave length with any other internationally recognized service company.”
He said Lagos operations were key to the overall success of the courier and logistics company, adding “if we get it right here, it means we will get it right everywhere.”
He challenged workers to be conscious of the competitive market where NIPOST operates adding that it is the quality of services rendered that would earn the organization a place in the competitive world.
“What we have done here today is to bring you a message of hope. But we also challenge you to put in your best as I can assure you that these are the surest ways to your welfare as well,” he added
Mrs. Taiye Ajayi, General Manager EMS/Parcel, explained to the Postmaster General some of the challenges, adding however that the organization is blessed with dedicated staff who are ready to give their best when encouraged.
Mr. Biodun Ogundele, General Manager, International Mail Processing Centre, listed some of the roles the department plays in helping the country to foil criminal activities through courier channels.
He explained how through the operations of the department, his men had detected suspicious parcels and senders arrested.
Mrs. Funmilayo Ogunlana, General Manager, Philately Department presented to Adewusi, a ceremonial stamp to mark the visit. This was after conducting the team around the department where centuries old postage stamps were on display.
Others who joined the Postmaster General in his tour include the Deputy General Manager Bulk Post, Mr. Rasheed Owolabi; Mr. Yahya Rufai, General Manager Courier Regulations and Mr. Zoaka Habu, General Manager e-commerce and logistics and General Manager, Corporate Communications.
