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World Post Day: A Reflection

Published

7 years ago

October 21, 2019

October 9 was observed globally as World Post Day. Although the occasion is past, it is necessary to say a few things about the experience of the older generations of Nigerians with postal services. There was a golden era of the popular P&T, humourously called “Palavar and Trouble, even though its services had to do with posts and telegraphy. Those who know what was to do business with P &T, coined the term befitting its operations as well as an appropriate term depicting the behaviour of its staff.
To say that someone is making “Post Office face” is depictive of rudeness and snobbery. Such work habit has been responsible for putting a number of people out of the labour market and kept some women single in old age. When a business organization alleviates its customers, it loses their patronage and sympathy. Old P & T was notorious for high-handedness, arrogance and snobbery towards its customers.
Perhaps, the change of its name to NIPOST was meant to launder its corporate image. Did it work?
By the time Nigeria became independent, P & T occupied an exalted and powerful position in the nation’s economy. What was known as P & T Quarters could be likened to Aso Rock in the olden days. There were three most exalted government establishments anyone would work, namely: P & T, Nigeria Ports Authority and the Nigeria Railways. The era of oil boom had not come.
The prestige of these establishments was such that the Ports Authority and Railways had separate police units and quarters, and the P&T was the harbinger of sneaky spying into postal documents and telecommunications. Today, the story is quite different from what the past was. The decline in the Railways began with its chief executive having more official cars than any other senior civil servant in Nigeria. His reply when confronted officially was that: “I love cars”. So, let it be with Dr Ikejiani!
Those who know about P&T training school in Oshodi in the first six years after Nigeria became independent, would testify that it was a beehive of activities, responsible for manpower up building. Communication experts in the armed and security forces had some forms of training there. Things began to change after 1966 and rather than talk about P & T and its roles in posted and telegraphic services in Nigeria, what we hear of today are internet and electronic communications.
Morse code is now an out-dated technology!
Of more relevance to the Nigeria public with regards to the obsolescence of the old wonders of the post and telegraphic service, is the issue of attitude of service providers. Yes, stamp and stamp duty remain relevant in business transactions and revenue generation. Even stamp collection was a creative hobby for youths in the past, but today, it is possible that some secondary school students may not have seen various stamps. Those who transact business and enter into agreements rarely know what role stamp should play.
What used to be known as cablegram in the past would sound like Greek to some Nigerians now. But modern telecommunications technology has made it possible for anyone to talk to other people anywhere on earth, and even see their faces as you discuss. When P&T was responsible for the installation of telephones, it was possible to wait for over 24 months before a subscriber could have a telephone in his home. Phone was a symbol of status.
Far more instructive is the fact that a communications military macho-man who later became a popular senator, once told Nigerians that telephone was not meant for everybody. Now we see children of the agbero-class of Nigerians make use of cell phones every day.
Workers in Nigerian postal services were readily associated with lukewarm attitude, coupled with arrogance and snobbery. For a public servant to be lackadaisical can be a disservice to an establishment. “Post-office face” phenomenon is not confined to workers in the postal services, but it is a serious attitudinal aberration quite common in public establishments. Neither are female workers alone in the exhibition of Irritating snobbishness.
One such snobbish university administrative officer learnt a bitter lesson when he was jolted by the discovery that the person talking to him was a professor on accreditation mission. Of more value is the fact that snobbish people miss opportunities that can come with being nice to strangers.
People exhibit and expose the quality and nature of their up bringing through the way they relate with others. Thus, the attitude of antagonism, confrontation and snobbery would draw similar reactions from those we meet daily. But it pays better to be polite, courteous and humble.
It cannot be said that the attitude of brashness and lack of courtesy among people can be attributed to current economic conditions. Neither is such behavioural pattern peculiar to any particular class of people or sex. What is worrisome is that lack of courtesy is becoming increasingly pervasive among Nigerians. Does military rule have anything to do with braggadocio and coarseness among Nigerian citizens? Maybe!
The history of postal services in Nigeria is quite an instructive one. We are reminded that we live in a world where change is a constant factor. Those pretty and handsome ones who made “post-office face” in the past must be quite old now, with wrinkled faces. As we think of the World Post Day, let us also remember that we can price ourselves out of market when we make too much “shakara” in our relationships with others. Politicians who forget that change is a constant factor in life should think of a Haitian idiom that those who live in the air cannot rest their feet on the ground. Good lessons from P&T!

Bright Amirize

Featured

RSG Floats MNET Culture Content Promo

Published

3 days ago

November 6, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Ministry of Culture and Tourism has floated a culture content platform in collaboration with digital television group, Multichoice.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Mr. Freddy Ndigbara, disclosed this after a meeting with MultiChoice Head of Content Acquisition, Don Dotun Ojon, in Port Harcourt.

He assured that content entrepreneurs and film makers would enjoy the platform by promoting culture and other contents to sell the states tourism potentials.

He said MultiChoice M-net was now open to increase its patronage for content shots on locations in Rivers State, describing the State as one that has numerous potentials for film tourism.

“We were privileged to have Don Ojon with us at the Rivers International Film Festival (RIFF) at the weekend in Bonny and he saw, first hand, the numerous sites and opportunities that are open to creatives in the State. After that, we felt it was important to deepen the conversation and he obliged. This is a cheering news for the sector in the State,” he said.

Ndigbara stated that “Rivers State has many more untold stories to tell, many more contents to reel out and the assurances from the M-net Acquisition Manager is an indication that the industry in the state will soon enjoy a new lease of life”.

The Permanent Secretary thanked Ojon for the visit and assured that creatives in the State would grap this opportunity and show the world that Rivers State is a major hub for film tourism in Nigeria.

On his part, Ojon said the visit was to discuss on ways of promoting tourism in the State using creatives and film.

Ojon said although the company has recently been acquired by canal+ France and is undergoing restructuring, he would promote the chances of Rivers State to host the MultiChoice talent factory in the State.

With Asaba, capital of Delta State, being saturated, Ojon said the next port is Rivers State, which he said is capable of building fresh crop of creatives, new locations, new story lines and concepts.

He, therefore, called for collaboration from stakeholders in the State.

Kevin Nengia

Featured

APC Presidential Campaign Storms PH, ‘Morrow

Published

3 days ago

November 6, 2026

The Tide

Barring last minute changes, the presidential campaign train of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will storm Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, tomorrow.

This is according to a campaign timetable released by the APC Campaign Council last month.

The Tide reports that the APC presidential campaign kicked off in Kaduna on October 24 with President Bola Tinubu in attendance.

The campaign train later moved to Cross River, Gombe, Nasarawa, and Ekiti on November 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively with the Vice President, Kashim Shettima representing the President at the rallies.

President Tinubu is personally scheduled to attend 12 states including Rivers, Kaduna, Plateau, Oyo, Borno, Enugu, Bauchi, Sokoto, Delta, Kano, Adamawa and Lagos.

The Rivers State rally, scheduled to hold at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt, is expected to witness a large crowd of party supporters drawn from a coalition of political parties in the State.

The party is expected to round off its presidential campaign in Lagos State on January 9, 2027.

The Tide reports that Tinubu has not visited Rivers State as President since he assumed office in May 2023. His last physical visit to the State was before his inauguration on Wednesday, May 3 – Thursday, May 4, 2023, when he was hosted by then Governor Nyesom Wike in Port Harcourt to commission the Rumuola/Rumuokwuta Flyover and the Magistrates’ Court Complex.

Tomorrow’s visit will be his first to the State since assuming office.

Featured

2027: Be Politically Neutral, Fubara Tasks Traditional Rulers

Published

1 week ago

October 30, 2026

The Tide

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has charged traditional rulers in the State to maintain neutrality, ensure fairness and uphold peace in their domains as the country prepares for the 2027 general elections.

Fubara gave the charge on Wednesday while declaring open the 126th, 127th and 128th Combined Quarterly Meeting of the Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council, in Port Harcourt.

The governor said the primary function of traditional rulers is to administer justice and ensure fairness, saying their conduct must not lead to division and unmanageable crises.

“Let me therefore, request, if that is the right word to use, that please, as we are entering into this political season actively, everyone should ensure that your conduct promoted peace in your place. Your actions should not be what would lead to the division and multiple crisis that we cannot manage as a government.

“I think with that, we can all live as one and we can also continue to make this progress that we are trying with all our mind, our body and our soul, to ensure that we deliver to our dear State,” he said.

Fubara urged the royal fathers to abide by the oath and constitution they swore to before ascending their respective stools, in the interest of stability and progress of the State.

He also enjoined them to set aside individual sentiments and place the interest of Rivers State above personal considerations, noting that this principle has guided his own day-to-day governance of the State.

“I want to enjoin everyone to keep aside issues of individual sentiments and ensure that the interest of our state supersedes whatever thing that we have in our mind. This is not just what I’m saying here, it is what I’ve also practiced and displayed in my day-to-day life in the governance of our dear State,” he said.

On the appeal for improved welfare for traditional rulers, the governor clarified that the delay in actualising some of the requests they made in the past was not from the government but from the inability of the Council to put its house in order.

Fubara explained that the issue of stipends paid to the traditional rulers by the local government councils, was a statutory benefit provided for in the constitution and not what a state governor can change by mere verbal pronouncements.

He assured that he remains a man of his word and will fulfill his promises to the traditional rulers before leaving office, next year.

He reaffirmed his respect for the traditional institution as custodians of culture and the closest link to the people, thanking them for their prayers and support.

The governor urged the royal fathers to ensure that the combined quarterly meeting featured fruitful deliberations that will strengthen peace and development in the State.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers and Paramount Ruler of Apara Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Eze Chike Amadi Worlu Wodo, expressed profound gratitude to the State Government for its efforts in maintaining a cordial relationship with the traditional institution.

Wodo highlighted the importance of traditional rulers in conflict resolution, noting that their closeness to the people places them in a strategic position to mediate in disputes involving chieftaincy matters, family disputes and land ownership in their respective communities.

The royal father drew the attention of the State Government to some challenges affecting the performance of the traditional institution, particularly the lack of official utility vehicles and logistical support needed to discharge its responsibilities effectively.

He also appealed for improved monthly stipends and better welfare provisions to reflect prevailing economic realities.