General News
RisingRose is Customer-Centric -Linda
Linda Austin-akuta is the managing director of RisingRose Nigeria Limited. Linda, a pious manager is a graduate of Lagos State University (LASU), obtaining Bachelor of Science in Political Science. Upon completion of her National Youth Service she joined UPS in 2002 as a Client Services Executive. She rose to the position of Accounts Executive after she gathered many awards. She spoke to peter ugwu on matters that need urgent attention by the government in a quest to open courier industry for national development.
RiseRose’s Mission
The mission is to provide the best possible delivery service to our customers by curbing the inconsistencies in mails and financial documents delivery system. RisingRose wants to ensure end to the mishandling of the investors’ documents. Sometimes, the documents are lost in transit.
Part of the processes of ensuring safety is by packaging the documents in accordance with international best practices.
We are committed to offering superior levels of service with the most flexible options available at shortest possible time. We have been doing this for the past three years and our clients can testify to our integrity and reliability.
We believe in high effective customer service. For instance, there are practitioners that wouldn’t know that during packaging if one misses the address labeling, one are creating room for confusion for those that pick the package.
When the names and addresses are blurred or not conspicuously written the delivery may end up in a wrong hand or place. We believe in integrity and trust.
Assessment of Courier Industry
Since we started operations, we have discovered the need to deliver customers’ items on time.
For instance, our customers, most of whom we deliver dividends warrants, would want it delivered as scheduled.
If one fails to do that, it may end up in the hands of people that will mis-represent it.
That becomes a problem to the registrar. These documents are time sensitive.
Once we have this kind of job, we make sure we deliver; even if it implies stepping down other things. Moreover, all mails in our care are very important to us and must be treated very urgent.
Expansion Plans As e-Dividends Have Emerged
The conversion of annual reports, dividend certificates, et cetera to compact discs has already been taken care of, especially by the concerned authorities.
When the conversion started, it was still given to us (couriers) to deliver, but the prices crashed. For instance, annual reports that cost N150.00 were reduced to N60 per CD. Even if one is given 100,000 copies to deliver, the revenue was not enough.
However, Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST) intervened, because CDs are more fragile to handle. The process of packaging the CDs needs extra care; the packaging was different.
So, it attracted extra charges. Presently, it cost N150.00 per CD to deliver.
Rising Rose Expectations
There are many expectations in the industry, like the regularization of the sector. Everybody is expectant that it will become a reality soon.
Meanwhile, in the interim, Courier Regulatory Department (CRD) of NIPOST has been doing what they could, within the limited resources at their disposal to quail some challenges in the industry.
Some people are of the opinion that they are not doing much. But, we believe that they are on the right track.
For instance, one cannot establish a courier company without obtaining a licence; otherwise one is going against the law. The CRD will provide all necessary rules and regulations to guide in the obtaining of courier licence and operation.
The rules form the operational basis for courier companies. We have witnessed in the recent past that some firms were axed by CRD for their inability to play according to the rules. Nevertheless, we feel they can do better if they are made to operate as courier regulatory commission.
Kicks Against Yearly Renewal of Licence
With regards to the annual licences renewal, well, the ANCO EXCOS are working on it and I hope they will come out with something more favourable to all operators.
Caging Portfolio Courier Firms
I believe that CRD is always after those people. It also behooves on the media and industry players to fight the old trends by consistent campaign against that and alerting the regulators when we see any of them in operation.
In ANCO, we can identify our members. It is an illegality that must stop. These people are architects of the downfall of many practitioners, because they would approach unsuspecting customers, collect parcels to deliver and later dump such packages thereby bringing bad name to the courier industry.
Although, they are not magicians, but their operations affect the genuine companies; they are threats to our integrity as an industry.
It boils down to the call for a Commission to manage the affairs of this industry. Meanwhile, the new ANCO executives have sounded the gong; if you are not a member of NAICA or ANCO, you should not be in the industry.
That will help in fishing out the bad eggs. Both the Government, regulators, registrars, recognized practitioners and the customers must unite to cage them.
Unharnessed Potentials
There are many of them. When I was in UPS, we started the warehousing project. Before then, we knew nothing about it in the country.
It has been yielding revenue for the company. Warehousing is an area that courier companies should look into. A lot of people do not want to have warehouse due to safety requirements, so others can leverage on that opportunity.
The online retailers may require such services too. In the actual sense, the online shops ought to partner with courier firms in terms of warehousing and delivery of goods to customers. Even Bulk post should tighten their noose on them.
The potentials in the industry can better be harnessed when players play according to the rules in the industry. They will become templates that future investors will emulate.
Meanwhile, the sector can be equated with the oil and gas. If we get a Commission today, a lot of jobs will be created in the industry.
IT and Courier
What we are doing is not pleasure inclined. Emails are pleasure writings. What we deliver are sensitive and time bound documents. They are physical documents that must be seen and felt at the other end. We still deliver them. So, email or no email we are moving on.
After e-dividends and e-certificates, for instance, we still carry the e-advice, which is meant to notify the shareholders involved that their accounts have been credited. In fact, technology is a plus to what we do. More people are beginning to trust the system.
They can use the internet to track movement of their packages. If you are doubtful of the capital market, you can use your system to monitor how the share is fairing in the market. That has restored shareholders’ confidence.
Encounter with Government Agents
We have a lot of challenges in this regard; Government agencies do obstruct the movement of courier dispatch riders on essential duties because of tax collection. These taxes we pay. I am of the opinion that if a special identification is given to us for the dispatch riders, it will enhance our inter-state operations and could reduce some legal risks to us.
Automation
Before now, when we have registered mails we recorded them in note books. This takes longer times. Presently, we give our customers soft copy that helps them to monitor the shareholder’ registered manifest. This makes it easier and more convenient to access their customers’ share registration.
Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) indicted the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and other ministries over administrative lapses that allowed the fictitious Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) to operate.
Musa Aliyu, chairman, ICPC, stated that NITDA, alongside the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), the Budget Office, and other bodies, failed to carry out adequate due diligence and standard operating procedures.
ICPC said however, clarified that the findings pointed to severe internal control weaknesses and administrative negligence rather than active official complicity by NITDA and the other affected agencies.
The briefing followed a 30-day investigation ordered by the president on July 7 into allegations surrounding the purported presidential council.
The commission also cleared the presidency and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) of any wrongdoing but blamed institutional lapses in several ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).
Aliyu said investigators established that Adeniyi Adeyemi, the director-general, was never appointed by the federal government and that the PFIPC had no legal existence.
“As you may recall, on the 7th of July, Mr. President directed the ICPC to conduct an investigation into the fake Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council and submit a report within 30 days,” he said.
“Today, exactly within the stipulated period, we have submitted an interim report based on our interactions with all stakeholders involved.”
According to Aliyu, Tinubu directed the commission to make its findings public in the interest of transparency and accountability.
He said the investigation found that Adeyemi’s purported appointment letter was forged.
“It has been established that Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew was never appointed by the Federal Government or any authority whatsoever,” he said.
“The Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, which sometimes they called the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, was never established by any law, executive order or any valid instrument of government.
“The appointment letter presented by Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew was completely forged alongside similar documents used to perpetuate the illegal activities of the fake agency.”
Aliyu stated that a purported government gazette used to legitimise the organisation was also fabricated.
“If you recall, there was a gazette which he used to support the fake agency. That gazette is an illegal document that never passed through the processes prescribed by law,” he stated.
“Our investigation found that the office used by the fake agency was the office of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council. The office was broken into and access was gained illegally. That was how he was able to operate from there.”
Aliyu also revealed that investigators uncovered two additional fictitious government agencies allegedly created by the suspect — the FCT Investment Promotion Agency (FIPA) and the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency/Public-Private Partnership (FIPA-PPP).
According to him, fake legislative instruments were used to create the agencies and open bank accounts.
Despite the elaborate scheme, the ICPC chairman said the investigation found no evidence that federal government funds were disbursed to the fake council.
“Our investigation found that no funds of the federal government were approved or disbursed to the fake PFIPC,” he said.
“We also discovered no weaknesses in the systems of the State House or the Central Bank of Nigeria during our investigation. The fake appointment letter did not originate from the presidency.
“Our investigation found that some public officers failed to carry out due diligence and failed to comply with standard operating procedures in their ministries and departments. That gave him the opportunity to carry out these illegal acts.”
Nigeria tax system is build on taxing prosperity not poverty, according to Dr. Zacch Adedeji, executive chairman, Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS).
Dr. Zacch Adedeji, executive chairman, Nigeria Revenue Service
Adedeji, also dismissed the insinuation that the government’s tax reform is aimed at extracting money from Nigerians .
He said the essence of reform is creating an economic environment where individuals and businesses can prosper.
Dr. Adedeji made the clarifications on Sunday night while appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he defended the administration’s tax reforms and addressed concerns over rising government revenue amid the economic hardship facing Nigerians.
According to him, the government’s objective is to tax the fruits of investment rather than the investment itself.
“For us at Nigeria Tax, we are not there to extract. Our focus is not revenue. I don’t want to tax poverty. I’m to tax the fruit, not the seed, and I’m to tax the return, not investment.”
Adedeji explained that the government would generate more revenue as businesses became more profitable, without necessarily increasing the tax burden on individuals and companies.
He said a company that made N100 in profit could generate N30 in tax revenue for the government, but if its profit increased to N200 or N300, government revenue would rise accordingly.
“So, if I want to make more, I must work for you to make more. And that is why it is in the best interest of us in Nigeria Revenue Service that businesses are doing well, individuals are doing well,” he said.
He said the approach was consistent with President Bola Tinubu’s economic agenda, which seeks to remove barriers to investment and create a more conducive environment for businesses to operate and expand.
Adedeji cited reforms in the electricity sector as part of the government’s efforts to stimulate economic activity.
He noted that the Electricity Act had devolved powers to state governments to generate, transmit and distribute electricity, arguing that improved power supply would boost production and productivity across the economy.
Prof Chidi Oguamanam, Nigerian scholar, has been invited to serve as a member of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO’s) World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology.
Prof Chidi Oguamanam,
The appointment, which covers four years from 2026 to 2029, recognises Oguamanam’s contributions to the ethics of science and technology and related disciplines.
The invitation was conveyed in a letter from UNESCO on Saturday, which described the commission as an independent advisory body and forum for reflection on major ethical challenges arising from advances in science and technology.
The letter stated, “Recognising your significant contributions to the ethics of science and technology and related disciplines, it is my honour to invite you to become a member of UNESCO’s World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology for a period of four years, from 2026 to 2029.”
Established in 1998, the commission brings together experts from different regions and disciplines to examine ethical issues associated with scientific and technological developments, climate change and the environment.
UNESCO said regional balance was important to the commission’s membership to promote multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary debate on emerging ethical challenges.
According to the organisation, the commission provides guidance and recommendations through its reports to UNESCO, its member states, the scientific community, policymakers, civil society and other stakeholders.
Its previous work has contributed to global normative instruments, including the Declaration of Ethical Principles in Relation to Climate Change adopted in 2017 and the Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence adopted in 2021.
UNESCO noted that the commission had recently published reports examining the ethics of quantum computing and space exploration and utilisation.
The organisation said the commission would now focus on new areas identified for its future work programme, including emerging ethical challenges arising from scientific and technological developments.
In inviting Oguamanam to join the commission, UNESCO expressed confidence in his expertise and active contribution to the development of its forthcoming reports.
The organisation also said it expected members to contribute to “horizon scanning” of emerging ethical challenges and help identify issues that should be addressed in the commission’s next cycle.
Oguamanam’s appointment adds to Nigeria’s representation in international discussions on the ethical implications of science, technology and innovation.
He is expected to serve on the commission alongside experts from different regions and academic disciplines during the 2026–2029 term.
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