Chinenye Anuforo
The Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) has revoked the licences of 30-courier companies in the country.
This was disclosed by its General Manager, Courier Regulatory Department (CRD) , Dr. Ishaya Diwa, at a media briefing yesterday in Lagos.
According to him, the licences of the companies were revoked because the operators were not complying with the rules and regulations governing courier services.
Diwa listed the companies to include: Abex Express, Benop Courier Ltd., Best Courier Ltd., Betkey International Venture Ltd., B-Flex Express Service Ltd., Blue Star Courier and Logistics Services Ltd., Business Messenger Nigeria Ltd., Dealdey Swift Ltd., Fair Plus.
Others are: Fleet Courier Ltd., Gbuzzorr Delivery Service, Greater Washington Capital Ltd., Green White Express Logistics, IMO Transport, Kaoline Ventures Ltd., Macdon Express Courier Ltd, Migfo Express Courier Freight, Okoli Express, Vee Express Delivery Services. The rest are One-on-One Parcels Ltd., Pele Express, Quick Link Express, Quo Courier and Logistics, Skyhigh Express Nigeria Ltd., Speed Express Courier Ltd., Speed Mails Express Ltd., Speedmark Courier, Thanet Deliveries, Total Quality Express Services, and Universe Courier.
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The CRD boss explained that for the past two-years, his department have been consistently trying to sanitise the courier industry with its continuous events such as clamping down of companies. “We need our courier operators in the country to work with the best standard as courier business is a worldwide business and any form of infringement will tell bad for the country.
He added that the revocation is also a means of making the environment condusive and worthwhile for operators to thrive.
The CRD General Manager said that the criteria for revoking the licenses was based on lack of renewal of licenses upward to three-year and activities done not in tandem with rules and regulations of NIPOST.
He, however, cautioned the public to be aware of the revoked operators and to desist from working with them.
He said that revoking of operators license was not a death sentence, adding that if the operators change its mode of operation, it would have to meet certain criteria, pay the backlogs, penalty before it would be taken back.
Diwa said that the biggest challenge CRD was facing was as regards smaller operators due to the fact that they do not have fixed addresses where they would be seen physically.
He said that economic reasons was not a good reason for operators to be cutting corners, as the department had always been relaxed in enforcing rules but unfortunately Nigerians like to take advantage of things with impunity.
“It is good to have a small and neat courier business in the country than having the proliferation of services. Presently, we have 108 courier companies that are healthy and financially stable unlike when they were 300.
“The operators renewal fees in the country is about the cheapest in the world, N350,000 in a year. It is just that our people like taking short corners and that is not good for business,’’ he said.