By Michael Oche
Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), has vowed to resist any attempt or actions that may further weaken the Nigeria Postal Services (NIPOST).
SSASCGOC in a letter addressed to the minister of communications and digital economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, said while it is not against reforms meant to strengthen the institutions for higher productivity, it will however resist and plot that will lead to loss of jobs for its members at NIPOST.
In the letter signed by its General Secretary, Comrade Ayo Olorunfemi, the union warned that it will not guarantee industrial peace in the sector should it discovers that the ongoing commercialization of NIPOST is a guise to privatize the agency.
The Union gave the Minister a 14days ultimatum to attend to its demands, urging the Minister to collaborate with the union to find a peaceful resolution to the issues it raised in the interest of industrial harmony.
The letter titled: “Reorganised and Systematic Preparation for Burial Ceremony of Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST): Save our Soul”, reads; “I most respectfully write to acknowledge receipt of your letter No.HMC/026/GEN/VII dated 15th August, 2022 and to reiterate our position as follows.”
“The creation of subsidiaries in NIPOST is a welcome idea for repositioning and Institutional strengthening. Therefore, any attempt at sharing the properties of NIPOSIT or creating separate Board(s) for such subsidiaries will be counterproductive and shall be resisted with all our Trade Union powers.
“The Chief Executives of the newly created subsidiaries should be part of the top management of NIPOST and should report directly to the board of NIPOST accordingly. There shall be no basis for Asset Sharing since the NIPOST remains the owner of the newly created subsidiaries.
“We are aware and ready to put in the public domain that individuals who are close to this administration have shares in the newly created subsidiaries which are a pointer to the lies that NIPOST was going through commercialisation and not privatization.
“We are equally aware that close to ten billion naira is being worked out from the coffer of the Federal Government to be “injected “ into the newly created subsidiaries. This to us is another conduit pipe to continue with the ongoing corruption in government. “Such an amount should be injected into the NIPOST since NIPOST had never enjoyed any capital budget for over 10 years. NIPOST as a social service agency had not been assisted for over 10 years in terms of funding. When this is corrected, we can comfortably believe that this administration truly meant well for NIPOST”, he added.
