NIPOST shuts three unlicensed courier operators

The Courier Regulatory department (CRD), an arm of the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) has decried the increasing in number of unlicensed courier/delivery companies in the country.

The Department frowned at the situation which it described as economic sabotage.Dr. Ishaya Diwa, general manager, Courier Regulatory Department (CRD) made the remarks on Wednesday while briefing newsmen on the shutdown of three alleged unlicensed operators in different areas of Lagos state.

He said the three firms were sealed after series of investigations on their activities. He listed the three courier companies as Time Code Services, On-Time Express and Integrated Dispatch Express.

The Clampdown team was however led by Mr. Shonde Dotun, assistant general manager, Licensing.The General Manager said that they took the action in line with the Department’s duties and responsibilities- to regulate all courier operators and ensure that operators in the industry comply with industry codes and standards set by the Universal Postal Union (UPU).

He stated that they periodically monitor activities of the regularized operators, assessing what they do to ensure sure total compliance with set standards.He further decried that there are more unlicensed courier operators in Nigeria than licensed ones hence the need to ensure justice for the licensed operators to recoup their investments.

“Things must be done correctly, those that operate with impunity must be made to comply with laws of the land so that the industry will have sanity. Unlicensed Courier operators bring bad name to the industry and Nigeria at large, because they are not registered, they have nothing to lose so they do all sorts of bad job to people’s items, thereby creating bad name for license operators,” he said.

He also named eleven (11) courier companies that their licenses were revoked for defaulting in renewing their license.He noted that the revocation became necessary because these companies have defaulted for onward of three (3) years.

They include: 21st Century Courier; Abx Air Business Courier; Concorde Express; Denca Global Courier; Glintz Express Ltd., Maxi Express & Logistics; Somadek Global Services Ltd., Souche Parcel Service; Starlite Courier Express Nig. Ltd., and Urban Rural Courier

However, one of the companies that lost their operating licenses to the Federal Government, blamed the situation on harsh operating environment.

Captain John Okakpu, MD/Ceo of abx world, owners of Abx Air Business Courier, told Nigeria CommunicationsWeek on phone, though the company has diversified from courier operations to agro-allied export, however, it became obvious that the Government is not feeling the pulse of industry players “by jerking up the annual renewal fee by over 1000%. Such is not sustainable.

“As if we knew that Government is not ready to support the courier, we diversified our operations from Courier to agro-allied export and have since obtained the necessary licenses and permits. The Government should be concerned that businesses are dying; it ought to be concerned that companies that were doing very well, renewed their licenses, all of the sudden they have gone under. The industry needs support. The National Assembly is yet to give attention to the postal reform bill. Other countries in the West African region have vibrant Agencies regulating postal sector. The truth is that all is not well with the industry”, he told Nigeria CommunicationsWeek.

Dr Diwa further stated that they have resolved with the “change” mantra of the present administration that business will not be as usual, “and things must be done according to the laws of the land”.