WORKERS of the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) have kicked against attempt to remove the collection of N50.00 electronic stamp duty to denote electronic receipts, documents and other instruments from them.

The workers argued that the move, which is being pushed by the Federal Ministry of Finance in collaboration with the Federal Inland Revenue Service through the Finance Bill before the National Assembly, will kill and bury NIPOST.

The Secretary-General of the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), NIPOST, Ayo Olorunfemi, said the FIRS and Ministry of Finance are trying to take over the responsibility of NIPOST through the move by influencing the House of Representatives to insert the collection to be their responsibility.

Olorunfemi, during a peaceful protest to submit a petition to the leadership of the National Assembly on Thursday in Abuja, noted that if the move succeeds, NIPOST will be dead and its workers gone.

He said: “It is now clear that the Federal Ministry of Finance in collaboration with the Federal Inland Revenue Service are ready to take over the responsibility of the Nigerian Postal Services by influencing the House of Representatives to insert the collection to be their responsibility.

“Once this is done, it means NIPOST is finished, the staff are gone and there is no form of revenue and it means that the financial inclusion programme of this government will go into extinction, because it is only NIPOST that has federal presence spread across all the villages and communities in Nigeria.

“And once that is killed, it means that most of the developmental projects of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has been killed, and we say no, we will not allow this to happen.

“We have the responsibility after colonial administration since independence to produce stamps, sell the stamps and for the stamps to be used for denotation of receipts, business documents and registration in this country and we have been doing it.”

In its response, the Acting Spokesperson of the Senate, Godiya Akwashiki, said the National Assembly will look into the grievances of the workers.

He said: “Following your grievances and concern, we have discussed with the Postmaster-General and all the issues addressed has been considered in the amendment Bill.

“Even at the end of that bill and you discover any lacuna or any complaint in the bill, you can come back we will amend it for you.”