By Tony Edike
Even as workers of NIPOST in Enugu have continued to work very hard to re-awaken the interest of customers in their services, poor patronage appears to have rendered most of the workers redundant.

One of the major post offices in Enugu metropolis located at Ogui Road near the non-functional Nigerian Railway station, looks deserted but when Saturday Vanguard visited the counter, it was observed that some postal staff were present but they were idling away as there was no customer to attend to.

There were some mails and cargos behind the counter indicating that work was in progress but the workers had little or nothing doing as no customer walked in to access the postal services at the time.

A staff on the counter who would not disclose her identity told Saturday Vanguard in a brief chat that “we still get customers especially the companies who come here to post their mails to different places but there is no longer rush as it used to be many years ago.”

She said that there were different postage stamps on sale while those who had bulk mails to send come around to patronize them but, according to her, the private courier companies had seriously posed a threat to their operations as they are regarded as the “first choice”.

“We have adopted various measures to ensure quick delivery of mails, even faster than the courier companies particularly in the hinterland but I can tell you that many customers still prefer the courier companies even when their charges are higher than ours.  You will not believe that many of these courier operators send their mails through NIPOST because we have better mail delivery network but unfortunately members of the public don’t seem to be aware of the tricks of the courier operators,” the female staff said.

The situation was, however, different at the General Post Office along Okpara Avenue as some customers were seen moving in and out of the office. A few customers were seen purchasing stamps but it was observed that not many mails were sent through the normal mail services as many prefer sending mail through the Express Mail Service (EMS) which they believe delivers faster.

It was also gathered that many Private Mail Bag (PMB) and Post Office Box owners have long abandoned them due to what a NIPOST staff described as the advent of internet and GSM services. “I remember in the past when people send greeting cards in large numbers to their loved ones and friends across the globe but today, such messages are easily sent through text messages at cheaper rates and are delivered faster,” recalled the staff.

None of the officials at the General Post Office accepted to speak on their services as they claimed that they had no permission to volunteer comments on their activities.

However, when Saturday Vanguard called at the Territorial Headquarters of NIPOST near Otigba junction, the Enugu Territorial Manager, Mr. Simon Adoyi, was not available but one of the marketing staff said that the Enugu Territory had continued to make a steady progress in service delivery and revenue generation.

“We are making progress and now generating more money than before.  We are diversifying into other lines of products and services apart from our traditional products like sale of stamps.  We now have new services like Cargo/Haulage, EMS/Parcel Posts, Post Cash within Nigeria in addition to parcel services.

“All local government headquarters have post offices and they are functional. People send and collect money from these post offices both in the towns and rural areas throughout the local government areas and it is a great relief to the customers because you cannot get any source of money transfer like ATM in places like that. In fact, we are making steady progress and more people are patronizing us now.”

Besides, she said that NIPOST is effectively carrying out sensitization on the Federal Government’s Stamp Duty Act compliance which has also improved stamp sales, adding that the improved services currently being rendered by NIPOST has gradually rekindled the confidence of the customers in its operations.

It would be recalled that Enugu  State Government, in collaboration with NIPOST recently launched its centenary stamp to commemorate 100 years of development of the city.  Unveiling the postage stamp in Enough, Government Sullivan Chime said the stamp would serve as a concrete and indelible monument  as well as promote the heritage, endowment and the investment potentials of the state.

He commended NIPOST for its partnership towards making the stamp a reality, adding that the state would encourage meaningful ideas and initiatives to bring about transformation.

Speaking at the occasion, Sen. Gil Nnaji, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Communication, said the launch of the stamp came at the right time when the postal bill was receiving legislative intervention.  Nnaji called on businessmen and women, legal practitioners and citizens to always purchase the stamp when necessary.  “This stamp signifies that Enugu State has now become an active player in global village. This will guarantee transparency,” he said.

The Postmaster-General, Malam Ibrahim Baba, who commended Enugu for being the first state to launch a centenary stamp, however, expressed the optimism that the stamp will open up the state to the world and make it a tourism destination.  Baba, who was represented by the Deputy Postmaster-General, Mr. Leonard Nwankwo, said that stamps were the most effective and significant medium of immortalising monuments.  “Enugu State has made history by the launch of this stamp. It is the first state to launch a centenary stamp. This means that the economic potentials of the state cannot be over-emphasised,” he said.

The centenary stamp which is being sold at N50, is already generating interest among the people of Enugu State who now troop to NIPOST to purchase the stamps for different purposes in compliance with the directive of the state government which is celebrating the 100 years of  the Enugu City, which owes its geopolitical significance to the discovery of coal in 1909 by a team of British geologists.

NIPOST said it is expected to make huge sales from the centenary stamps just as it has continued to diversify its operations to meet the challenges of fast mail delivery as well as the competition in the courier sector.