NIPOST workers protest in Abuja, wants halting of reforms

Workers of the Nigerian Postal Service, NIPOST, staged a peaceful protest in Abuja on Friday, January 27th, 2023 threatening to embark on industrial action from Monday, January 30th over an alleged plan by the authorities to sell the organisation.

They demand the immediate suspension of the government reform slated to commence by the end of this month.

In 2021, the Federal government, through the Minister of Communications, announced plans to reform NIPOST.

The reform will focus on unbundling the organisation and putting its over 2300 decapitated and underutilized assets to use, create employment and generate revenue.

The protesting staff urged the Federal Government to urgently intervene before the industrial action commences in earnest on Monday, 30 January 2023.

The General Secretary of the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies, Ayo Olorunfemi, led the protest on Friday.

According to Olorunfemi, several staff members of the service have not been receiving any form of capital funding from Federal Government in the last 15 years.

“All we are saying is this: Reform must be open; [it] must be clear. Our fear must be addressed and the reform must be in the overall interest of Nigeria. Any reform that is targeting some individuals will not be accepted.

“Therefore, this is another process. We have been going on strike and they have been talking to us to suspend them,” he said.

“We expect a suspension of the process. Let the next government come and follow due process in ensuring that we have a sustainable reform procedure.

“We’re expecting that a percentage, even if it is not more than two percent of that fund, be released to NIPOST for infrastructure and the welfare of staff.

“Immediately the so-called Finance Bill was passed into law, the money was packed away. One naira has not been given to NIPOST and NIPOST is not on any capital budget of the Federal Government,” he said.

They insist the planned reform is shrouded in secrecy as they were not carried along sighting the fate of NITEL, which has since gone underground after similar reforms.

The newly appointed Post Master General of the Federation, Sunday Adepoju, was on hand to receive a copy of the workers’ table of demands and promised to deliver it accordingly to the relevant authorities.