The staff of the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) are optimistic about the administration of the service’s newly appointed Post Master General (PMG), Tola Odeyemi, an official said.
The President of the National Union of Postal and Telecommunications Employees (NUPTE), Buba Nehemiah, who led a demonstration against Odeyemi’s appointment on Monday, told Newslodge on Friday that the new PMG has taken up his duties and created a good impression among agency staff.
Odeyemi took office on Monday despite initial protests from staff members of the government agency who supported former PMG, Sunday Adepoju.
The workers’ protest was due to the confusion caused by President Bola Tinubu reinstating the sacked Postmaster General, Mr Adepoju, a day after appointing Ms Odeyemi.
Earlier on Monday, when he was scheduled to take up his duties, agency staff blocked the door with banners, rejecting his appointment and endorsing Adepoju. Mr Adepoju also resumed his duties that day and was at the premises until 12.30 pm when he left.
In his inaugural address to NIPOST staff that same Monday, Odeyemi promised to address future challenges head-on.
He also promised to leverage his experiences to transform NIPOST’s fortunes with technological innovations.
“As we embrace the future, let us harness digital transformations, innovative solutions and the collective power of our human capital to redefine NIPOST for the modern era,” he said.
“My experience and qualifications have prepared me to face the challenges ahead. “My experience with technologies, fintech, and my time at leading companies like Binance and Uber have prepared me for this moment.”
Odeyemi said his vision for NIPOST is one that connects Nigerians regardless of where they are and what they do.
The PMG promised to leverage partnerships in the public and private sectors while building on the legacy of its predecessors.
She said: “As an organization, we will leverage partnerships with both other public sector MDAs and the organized private sector. The NIPOST we need as a nation will not be built alone. In assuming this role, my goal is to build on the commendable work of my predecessors. “I look forward to meeting with each of you and learning from your experiences, as it is so important to evaluate where we are as we forge a path forward.”
Optimistic staff
Meanwhile, NUPTE President Buba Nehemiah, who led a rally against Odeyemi on Monday, told Newslodge on Friday that the staff’s impression of the new PMG is positive and they are full of hope in his leadership.
“The new PMG has automatically become one of us, so she has been welcomed into the family. The body language of the staff is very positive. We are full of hopes and aspirations that she will perform exceptionally well,” she said in an interview with Newslodge on Friday evening.
He said Odeyemi’s first address to staff indicates that she is open-minded, which he said would help her achieve better results than her predecessor.
“Your initial address to staff indicates that you have an open heart, which I believe will facilitate the teamwork that will ultimately see your administration surpass what your predecessor left on the ground,” he said.
The NUPTE president said the staff’s initial apprehension was due to uncertainty, especially since the former PMG had lived up to the staff’s expectations.
Nehemiah noted that NIPOST staff are disheartened by the government’s recurrent layoffs and the appointment of new heads to agencies before they finish serving their terms.
He said: “Our apprehension was not just about the appointment but whether the newly appointed PMG will be allowed to fulfill its mandate so that NIPOST does not continue to be an experiment or a training ground for individuals.
“We would not appreciate the situation where prominent people once noticed were not allowed to contribute their quota to transform NIPOST. These are some of our concerns. When this continues like this, the organization will lose focus, the organization will always go back to square one.”
Qosim Suleiman is a reporter for Premium Times in association with Report for the World, which pairs local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the world.