Panic as NIPOST Asks Workers to Produce Primary School Certificates

By Adedeji Fakorede

There are palpable fears among the staff of Nigerian Postal Services (NIPOST) as the organisation commenced its Operation Show Your Primary School Leaving Certificates nationwide.

The exercise, which commenced four weeks ago, with a circular from the management intimating employees of the organisation of the need to show their certificates to the organisation as part of its Headcount exercise, eventually took off on Monday, in Lagos State, with workers from their different branches reporting at the head offices to tender their certificates.

A source at the Lafiaji office of the organisation stated that though an annual exercise, this year’s exercise would be the first time workers would be asked to come with their Primary Six Certificates.

The source, who was also among those that tendered their primary six papers for the exercise in Lafiaji, on Monday, stated that the idea of asking for the primary six certificates had continued to fuel insinuations and rumours, in some quarters, that the management of the organisation was planning a re-organisation exercise, with the Headcount exercise being the first step.

“Many workers of the organisation believe it could be a way of looking for evidences that would be used in future to nail those that must have tampered with their ages or doctored some of their personal details with the management while they were filling their employment forms,” he said.

At the EMS Head Office in Lagos, some of the staff who spoke with National Daily confirmed that the exercise was ongoing, but added that the staff in the department had been asked to come on Tuesday to commence their own verification.

“We are all very apprehensive, since the general belief here is that it might be a way of easing some workers out. But we are all watching and are ready to go for the screening,” a staff member in that department, who would not want his name in print, stated.

But a senior staff of the organisation who works in the Public Relations Department in Abuja would rather dismiss such insinuations with the wave of the hand.

“It is an annual exercise, a routine one at that. Besides, what is wrong in asking workers to tender their primary six school leaving certificates?

“The management reserves the right to ask for such papers from its employees. Such fears are unfounded unless for workers who have skeletons in their cupboards,” he said.