The federal government, through the Courier Regulatory Department (CRD) of the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), Thursday revoked the operational licences of ABC Transport Courier Service and nine others for various offences ranging from unethical practices to non-renewal of licences.
Announcing the revocation shortly after it clamped down on four other courier companies in Lagos and Ilorin in Kwara State for indulging in sharp practices and operating illegally without licence, the Senior Assistant Postmaster General of the Federation and Head of Courier Regulatory Department, Dr. Simon Emeje, said henceforth, the 10 courier operators, whose licences were revoked, would cease to do any form of courier business in the country.
He advised the public to distant themselves from the courier operators in their own interest, since doing courier business with them is now illegal.
The other nine courier companies whose licences were revoked are: Arrowhead Courier Limited, Evergreen Worldwide, Imo Transport Company Limited, MDS Logistics Limited, Migfo Express Courier Limited, Montesine Limited, NACFA Express Limited, Quadral Express Limited and Tide Express Link Limited.
Last year, CRD also revoked the operational licences of some courier companies for unethical practices and they have since stopped courier operations in the country. The recent revocation brought the number of registered courier companies in the country to 283 from the initial 293.
The courier operators that were clamped down included Royale Ryders Express, Success Transport and Kwara Express, all located along Murtala Mohammed road in Challenge area of Ilorin and Kasmag Express located at Yaba area of Lagos.
“The essence of our action is to protect Nigerians who patronise courier companies from getting short-changed by some courier operators who operate under hidden agenda,” Emeje said.
He explained that the 10 courier companies that had their licences revoked were given enough notice and warning to desist from sharp practices and to renew their expired licences, but they refused to comply.
Some of them, he said, were not only cutting corners in the business, but were also involved in carrying parcels below the 0.5kilogramme, which he said, is the exclusive right of only public postal operator and national carrier like NIPOST, which is allowed by law to handle such because of the sensitive nature of such items.
“Courier operators are supposed to carry and transport items weighing between 0.5kg and 50kg, but some of them breach the law guiding courier services in the country and accept parcels either below 0.5kg in weight or above 50kg weight,” Emeje said.
He explained that clampdown would continue until the industry is sanitised.
THISDAY
