NIPOST wields big stick, closes 3 illegal courier firms
• Revokes 11 licences, accuses violators for economic sabotage
• Says illegal operators outnumber genuine ones
For operating illegally, no fewer than three courier operators in the country have been shut down by the Courier Regulatory Department, an arm of the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST).
Eleven other companies received sanctions for various violations of the law guiding their operations, in a renewed exercise by the Agency.
CRD has also condemned the increase in number of unlicenced courier/delivery companies in the country, describing the situation as economic sabotage.
General Manager, Courier Regulatory Department, Dr. Ishaya Diwa, made this assertion on Wednesday while briefing journalists on the shutdown of three alleged unlicenced operators in different areas of Lagos State.
Diwa listed the three courier companies as Time Code Services, On-Time Express and Integrated Dispatch Express, adding that the three firms were sealed after series of investigations on their activities.
The CRD general manager explained 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 regularised operators, assessing what they do to ensure sure total compliance with set standards.
He lamented that there are more unlicenced courier operators in Nigeria than licenced ones, hence the need to ensure justice for the licenced 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. Unlicenced 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 licence operators,” he added.
He also named 11 courier companies whose licences were revoked for defaulting in renewing their licence, adding that the revocation became necessary because these companies have defaulted for onward of three 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.
Diwa stated further 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.”
The clampdown team was, however, led by Mr. Shonde Dotun, assistant general manager, Licencing.
Tony Nwakaegho
