Daily Independent Online.
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Tuesday, August 24, 2004.
NIPOST plans computerisation of offices nationwide
By Emma Okonji
IT. Telecom Reporter, Lagos
In no distant time, all offices and branches of the
Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) will
be computerised, the management of NIPOST has said.
Mallam Abubakar Musa Argungu, NIPOST Postmaster
General of the federation revealed this in Lagos last week while briefing the
press on the update and achievements of NIPOST from January through June. According to him, NIPOST, having known
the importance of computer and computational machines in offices, has
contracted an organisation to carry out feasibility study on some offices and
submit report to NIPOST, advising it on the need and cost implication of
computerising its offices.
We are waiting for the report, and by the time we
receive it, we will swing into action, beginning with some offices, Argungu
said.
The company is expected to do a five-year plan on
NIPOST computerisation. He explained that NIPOST has started computerising some
offices, but on a very small scale, noting that the parastatal will swing into
full action as soon as it receives the report.
Argungu who debunked rumour that the Federal
Government has paid NIPOST the monetisation money accrued to it, said it was not
true that money was paid into NIPOST account in the name of monitisation.
He warned NIPOST workers who are spreading the rumour
to desist from it. NIPOST, he said, runs a transparent parastatal and would
remit money due to staff immediately it is paid.
He, however, traced the source of the rumour to staff
who have been beclouded by poverty. Sources said NIPOST staff had raised high
hopes when the issue of monitisaton was raised by the Federal Government, but
became financially depressed when the money was not forthcoming. Argungun
explained that the monetisation exercise of the Federal Government was still on
course, as government has started with four ministries. Argungu who also
debunked rumour that NIPOST operates two separate slips, said it was not true
for a parastatal like NIPOST to have a separate slip for receiving monies meant
for salaries and another separate slip for the payments of such salaries.
The postmaster general announced a huge turnover of
NIPOST for the second half of the year ending June 30, 2004.
NIPOST, according to him, recorded N1.5 billion as
against N1.1 billion it generated the same period last year. The performance
shows an increase of over N3 million, which NIPOST says is a remarkable
improvement.
Argungu explained that the present NIPOST management
has, however, committed so much of its internally generated revenue towards the
building and renovation of postal establishments across the country. According
to him, in some areas, NIPOST undertook the completion of some abandoned
projects especially those that have reached 90 to 95 per cent completion stage
before they were abandoned.
NIPOST says it has committed the sum of N198, 606,
696.00 for the completion and renovation of post offices across the country,
from January to June this year, and that a total number of 200 post offices
have been renovated in the last three years.
