General News
PRB Passage, Economic Policies Limit Courier Sector Growth- Oladapo
Mr. Siyanbola Oladapo, president, Association of Courier Operators of Nigeria (ANCO) has decried the delay in the passage of the Postal Reform Bill (PRB), and said that political, social and economic factors are to blame for the recent challenges faced by operators.
He said that the passage of the bill; and right economic decisions by the government will help restore investors’ confidence.
Oladapo who is also the MD/CEO of Bowill Errands Limited, told Nigeria CommunicationsWeek, that “The courier industry is not immune to the present economic challenges in the country. The economy has witnessed recession. About a year and plus ago when the new government came in, it was politicking; they had to settle and have cabinet in place because the new government is an infusion of many political parties needing to satisfy different groups and party faithful.
“Almost at the same time they came in the price of crude oil was falling and so it has been difficult for them to fulfill their promises. And, Nigeria as a mono-product economy there was a huge challenge. In other words, before they could get their acts together the economy has slid to recession. There are security challenges compounding issues for the country too.
“The implication to the courier is that in places like the North-East it was difficult to do business. Businesses were shutting down. It was difficult for us (the country) to get things together and move forward at the pace the citizens envisioned.
“Also, the advent of e-commerce which is supposed to be a plus, but then most buyers lost the purchasing power; skyrocketing unemployment with companies folding up, these events impacted the courier negatively. The capital market also has its own challenges. Most of our members are key players in the market. Likewise, the cost of doing business was going high. Companies are looking for means to reduce cost. Therefore, in the last one year, all those things made the courier industry to face the challenges as inherent in the economy. In fact, it has not been easy for the players in this industry.
“Those who even want to import are not having it easy because there is shortage of foreign exchange. So, we cannot even assist them to ship things in. At that point people/companies were agitated and were kind of stayed aloof to reassess the capacity of the government to redeem the situation.
“Again, the cost of replacing machinery was there. We have the challenge of buying equipments to replace or rehabilitate damaged ones. Most infrastructure have failed too. The roads are bad. With State Governments owing months of salaries, people are trying to make a living. This has also led to the increased activities of touts who pose as local government officials making lives miserable for dispatch men out there in the street.
“The supposed officials resort to jungle justice; taking laws into their hands and extorting money from operators. When you call to lodge in complaints, nobody will be there to listen, because they have not earned their salaries too. All this has dire effect on the operators. The social, economic and political challenges impacted the industry too”.
Expectations this Year
Speaking further, Oladapo said that the present realities also present the industry players with opportunity to think-out-of-the-box and synergy on how to utilize available resources.
He said, “In times like this (recession) people get smarter; you think outside the box. So, companies will be concerned on how to reduce costs. This is when the concept of synergy will play better. Although, the synergy has its pros and cons. Trust and capacity are required to maintain such relationship in business. Having said that we believe 2017 will be a better one.
“First, the Postal Reform Bill (PRB) is receiving a better attention at the National Assembly. The Postmaster General, we believe, will leverage his political afflictions to get things moved in that direction. It was due to clash of interest in the past that has actually delayed the Bill. The post PMGs seemed foot-dragging on the matter, probably, for personal reasons. But the new PMG has a mandate to change the situation and he would want to score the point. The industry expects that intruders will be shown way out of the industry.
“As government is seeking for new ways to mitigate the forex impasse we expect things we get better; companies should be able to either import or export goods. As the price of crude is coming up Nigeria will have enough dollar (foreign exchange) to back up people’s demands. The courier sector will bounce back also”.
He added that boom in e-commerce space, “once people’s purchasing power is back”, will help the industry blossom to live again.
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) says the flight captain of the VMO Aero aircraft that landed on a roadway near Asaba Airport in Delta State told investigators that the observer pilot mistakenly identified the paved road as the runway before touchdown.
The bureau disclosed this in a preliminary report released on Thursday on the June 10 incident, which prompted the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to ground the private jet.
The aircraft had seven people on board, including the pilot-in-command (PIC), second-in-command (SIC), an observer pilot, a cabin crew member and three passengers.
According to the report, the aircraft was cleared by Air Traffic Control (ATC) to approach Runway 11 at Asaba Airport after the crew requested a right orbit.
The crew initially discontinued the approach, executed a missed approach and repositioned for a second landing attempt.
NSIB said the crew reported that the aircraft’s navigation systems indicated it was correctly established on the published RNAV Runway 11 approach.
“The PIC and SIC reported that the observer pilot identified the paved surface ahead as the runway,” the report stated.
However, the observer pilot gave investigators a different version of events.
According to NSIB, he said the aircraft remained inside cloud until late in the approach and that the Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) repeatedly issued “TERRAIN, TERRAIN, PULL UP” alerts.
He also said he observed a telecommunications mast directly ahead and instructed the flight captain to abandon the approach and climb immediately.
The bureau further disclosed that a cabin crew member reported that one of the passengers became concerned after overhearing discussions among the pilots and asked whether one of them was undergoing training. The passenger was reportedly reassured that all three pilots on board were experienced captains.
NSIB said no abnormal events were reported in the cabin before touchdown.
The aircraft eventually landed at about 8:57 a.m. on an under-construction paved roadway near Asaba Airport instead of the designated runway.
The bureau said its investigation into the incident is ongoing, while the preliminary report highlights conflicting accounts among the cockpit crew over the circumstances that led to the erroneous landing.
Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned the Federal Government’s alleged tax evasion case against Binance Holdings Ltd. cryptocurrency exchange, until September 24, 2026, to allow both parties more time to pursue an out-of-court settlement.
Justice Emeka Nwite fixed the new date on Thursday after Moses Ideho, counsel to the Federal Government, informed the court that discussions aimed at resolving the dispute amicably were still ongoing.
Ideho, a deputy director of Legal and Prosecution at the Nigeria Revenue Service (formerly the Federal Inland Revenue Service), told the court that the matter, which had been scheduled for a report on settlement or continuation of trial, could not proceed.
According to him, one reason for the delay was the reported elevation of Justice Nwite to the Court of Appeal, while the second was the continued reconciliation efforts between the parties.
“The parties are still exploring settlement in the charge that led to this case,” Ideho told the court.
Sunday Agaji, counsel to Binance, did not oppose the application for adjournment, following which Justice Nwite postponed proceedings until September 24 for either a report on the settlement discussions or continuation of trial.
The case was previously adjourned on May 12 after both the Federal Government and Binance informed the court that negotiations were underway to settle the matter outside the courtroom.
Binance had first indicated its willingness to pursue an amicable resolution on March 24.
The cryptocurrency company was re-arraigned on July 12, 2024, on a four-count charge bordering on alleged tax evasion.
Ayodele Omotilewa, Nigerian representative, pleaded not guilty on behalf of the company.
The re-arraignment followed the removal of Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan and his colleague, Nadeem Anjarwalla, from the charge after the Federal Government amended the case to make Binance Holdings Ltd the sole defendant.
Justice Nwite had, on June 14, 2024, discharged and struck out the names of Gambaryan and Anjarwalla after the prosecution filed the amended charge.
Binance is also facing a separate criminal prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which accuses the company of laundering about $35.4m.
In addition, the Nigeria Revenue Service is pursuing a separate civil suit against Binance before another judge of the Federal High Court, seeking approximately $79.5bn in alleged economic losses linked to the company’s operations in Nigeria.
Oodua Youth Coalition (OYC), a Yoruba socio-cultural group, has issued a notice to stage peaceful picketing at MTN Nigeria offices nationwide.
This action stems from the company’s alleged failure to publicly condemn recent xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa.
This is coming despite statement by Karl Toriola, chief executive officer, MTN Nigeria, who recently said that MTN may have originated from South Africa, he explained, but MTN Nigeria is a Nigerian publicly quoted company, managed by Nigerians and with a Nigerian board.
However, in a statement jointly signed Olatunji Adejuwon and Olaoye Abolaji,vice president and national secretary respectively of OYC, described MTN Nigeria’s silence as unacceptable, given the company’s South African roots and the patronage it enjoys from Nigerians
The coalition said it would proceed with a peaceful protest if the telecommunications company continued to ignore its demands, stressing that the action was intended to draw attention to the need for corporate responsibility and moral leadership in condemning xenophobic attacks against fellow Africans.
“Consequently, the Oodua Youth Coalition hereby gives notice that we shall, without hesitation, commence a peaceful picketing of MTN Nigeria’s offices if the company continues to ignore our legitimate demands.
“Our action is intended to draw attention to the need for corporate responsibility and moral leadership in condemning acts of xenophobia against fellow Africans,” the statement said.
The group renewed its call on MTN Nigeria to immediately convene a press conference, with representatives of the coalition in attendance, to unequivocally condemn the xenophobic attacks and reaffirm its commitment to the safety, dignity and unity of all Africans.
It maintained that the proposed protest would be peaceful, orderly and in accordance with the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
According to the coalition, relevant security agencies have been notified of the planned action, while appropriate communications have also been sent to the South African diplomatic mission in Nigeria.
“We once again call on MTN Nigeria to immediately convene a press conference, with representatives of the Oodua Youth Coalition in attendance, to unequivocally condemn the xenophobic attacks and reaffirm its commitment to the safety, dignity and unity of all Africans.
“We emphasise that our proposed action shall remain peaceful, orderly and in accordance with the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Relevant security agencies have been duly notified, and appropriate communications have also been sent to the South African diplomatic mission in Nigeria.”
Reaffirming its commitment to defending the rights and dignity of Nigerians, the coalition vowed not to relent until its concerns received the desired attention.
“The Oodua Youth Coalition remains committed to defending the dignity of Nigerians and promoting African solidarity. We will not relent until our concerns receive the attention they deserve,” the statement added.
Responding to the controversy, Toriola further condemned all forms of xenophobia and violence against Africans living in South Africa, insisting that MTN Nigeria is a Nigerian company with substantial local ownership.
“We unequivocally condemn any form of xenophobia, violence or attacks against any community in the world. We’re a Nigerian company, through and through. We’re listed on the stock exchange with over 201,000 retail investors, and 11 million people hold shares through their pension funds in MTN Nigeria.
“We provide the digital backbone of the economy, and we have a completely Nigerian entity.
“Yes, MTN was founded in South Africa, and the parent company that is the majority shareholder is South African. But let’s also look at it objectively. The shareholding of MTN Holding South Africa is only 50 per cent African.
“The remaining 50 per cent is from across the world — 27 per cent from the United States, with the rest from the United Kingdom, Europe, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region,” Toriola said.
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