Despite pushback, Odeyemi assumes duty as NIPOST CEO

Despite an initial pushback by members of staff of the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), Tola Odeyemi has assumed duty as the agency’s postmaster general.

Last Wednesday, President Bola Tinubu appointed Odeyemi as the new CEO of NIPOST, a development that angered the workers of the agency.

On Monday, the workers, under the National Union of Postal and Telecommunication Employees (NUPTE) locked the headquarters of NIPOST in Abuja in protest against the removal of Adeyemi Adepoju, the immediate ex-postmaster general.

The workers said the removal of Adepoju would put a stop to the continuous development of the agency.

While speaking after gaining access to the conference room of the NIPOST headquarters, Odeyemi said the welfare of staff will be her topmost priority.

The new postmaster general said her leadership of the organisation will upgrade the status of NIPOST as one of the leading postal operators globally 

“My aspiration is to not only solidify NIPOST’s status as one of the leading postal operators in the world but to also make it a critical conduit in bridging the trade, economic, and social gaps of our beloved nation,” she said.

“To make NIPOST a dependable logistics provider that can connect Nigerians irrespective of what they do: entrepreneurs to their customers, diaspora to relatives back home, Nigeria to the global e-commerce market and also, Nigerians to their government irrespective of where they reside”

Odeyemi said she would work with the agency’s stakeholders to make NIPOST stand tall in its service delivery.

“My primary focus will always be on the welfare of our staff, doing my best to create an enabling environment for each and everyone of us to thrive. To be your greatest cheerleader.

“Together, we will develop a 21st-century NIPOST, an institution that stands tall in its commitment to efficiency, trust, and impeccable service delivery. A NIPOST that all of us can look at and say, ‘I am proud to be a part of this’.”

CONFUSION AFTER ADEPOJU’S REMOVAL

President Bola Tinubu had on Wednesday relieved Adepoju of his role and appointed Odeyemi as the new CEO of NIPOST.

However, in a statement published on NIPOST’s official X account on Saturday, the agency said the president had reinstated Adepoju.

The statement said Adepoju was reinstated “due to his exceptional leadership and performance”.

A video of Adepoju in a jubilatory mood over the purported reinstatement has since surfaced on social media.

In the video, he is seen arriving in a sport utility vehicle (SUV) into what looks like a NIPOST premises where he was acknowledging cheers from a jubilating crowd.

However, the presidency did not release an official statement confirming the reinstatement of Adepoju as the postmaster general of NIPOST.