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The Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST) has regained its original mandate for collection of stamp duty charges from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami revealed in Abuja on Thursday as he unveiled two sets of diamond anniversary commemorative postage stamps.
Pantami’s statement means the cessation of three years of rancour and controversy over who has ownership right with regards to revenue accruable from stamp duty collection between the federal tax office and the postal agency. NIPOST finally won to significantly be financially empowered to drive its modernization agenda.
NIPOST is agency with statutory and historical authority for collection of stamp duties
“Our efforts regarding the issue of stamp duty collection with other government institutions have yielded positive results. NIPOST has been recognised as a government agency with statutory and historical authority to be the producer of stamps and recognised for collection of stamp duties for validation of financial transactions in the country,” said Pantami.
The minister lauded President Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of the National Assembly for their unbiasedness at addressing the issue even as he commended the management of NIPOST for their resilience.
His words: “We appreciate Mr. President for listening to our complaints, and we extend our gratitude to him and the Senate and House Committees for their intervention in ensuring that justice was done,” Dr Pantami said.
The minister said challenges of regulation; policy and financing confronting NIPOST over the years are being addressed with a view to place the agency on a platform that would enable it generate revenue for the federal government.
With the stamp duty war over, the minister assured that the plan to unbundle NIPOST into three independent companies in order to drive efficiency and revenue is now firmly on course.
An excited Chairman of NIPOST board, Hajiya Maimuna Abubakar, who has had a public spat with the FIRS during the stamp duty war, believes the postal agency is now well positioned to regain its past glories and be more competitively strengthened to navigate today’s market challenges.
Commemorative stamps illustrate we can achieve greater success when united regardless of ethno-cultural and religious differences
At the unveiling ceremony, the minister noted that the significance of the stamps is deeply rooted in Nigeria’s national history as an independent nation. “The stamps bring to life, our founding fathers and the roles they played birthing our independence from our colonial masters. This set of stamps illustrate the fact that we can achieve greater success, when we are united, regardless of our diverse ethno-cultural and religious differences. Furthermore, these stamps are to be used in authenticating and validating our official documents”
The commemorative stamp reflects the country’s diversity as a form of strength not weakness, the minister said.
“Our diversity supposed to be our source of strength and not weakness; it supposed to be our source of unity and not disunity. This is not just time for celebration but rather time for reflection and appreciation of our diversity.”
Nigeria is blessed with historical evidence of great works of arts
On her part, Hajiya Abubakar expressed conviction that the anniversary stamps will help to promote Nigeria’s rich culture and historical heritage.
“Nigeria as a country is amply blessed with historical evidence of great works of arts, cultural monuments and features that help in the transmission of cultural heritage from one generation to another. The Postal Industry from time immemorial has fostered the use of postage stamp as a veritable medium for nurturing of culture,” she said.
