Hints on Plans to Release Postal Stamp to Mark Gandhi’s 150th Anniversary
By Gift Olivia Samuel, The Sight News
Abuja-The Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST), is set to collaborate with the India Post in the area of capacity building programmes, so as to strengthen the bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
This was the crux of the meeting on Wednesday, when the India High Commissioner to Nigeria, B.N Reddy led a delegation on a courtesy call to the Postmaster General, Barr. Adebisi Adegbuyi in Abuja.
Receiving the delegation, Barr. Adegbuyi expressed interest in having a bilateral cooperation with India, saying that the two countries share so many similarities.
He added however, that it is a welcome development to have the India High Commissioner to Nigeria visit NIPOST and also agreeing on areas of various cooperation, from bilateral cooperation to any other issues of mutual interest.
“We believe that as countries that share so many similarities we should continue to work together for the benefits of the citizens of both countries. I intend to maintain a very close work relationship with you and I believe that there are many opportunities that we can look into for the development of our countries and our posts” he said.
In the area of capacity building programmes, he stated that NIPOST is very much interested, saying that Nigeria will take advantage of the expertise available in India.
According to him, “Since I became the Post Master General, alongside with the management staff of NIPOST, we have decided to diversify the productive base of NIPOST and part of which is the introduction of our Electronic Money Order. I believe that our financial service department and ICT will do a follow up visit to India to understudy how it is done, amongst other things we believe we can learn from India”.
While reacting to the request by the High Commissioner to release a postal stamp to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi,on October 2, 2018, Adegbuyi noted that the possibility will be explored.
“Mahatma Gandhi is an international hero and apostle of nonviolence to agitation. The important thing about this is that, we are using the instrumentality of the Post in Nigeria to immortalize somebody who is worthy of being immortalized owing to his contribution to world peace, non aggression and nonviolence to issues of agitation” the Postmaster noted.
Earlier, the India High Commissioner to Nigeria, B.N Reddy, remarked that Nigeria and India have similar origins, adding that the visit is to look at the possibility of having greater cooperation between NIPOST and India Post.
He noted that the postal departments are gradually embracing in a large measure, new technologies, ideas and are no longer focussed on delivering posts alone but doing many other activities.
“We in India believe, that the very basic and very important service that is rendered to every citizen of the country is the postal service, and ever since I read about the NIPOST, I have always wanted to come and pay my courtesy call on you” he announced.
Reddy further said, that India is looking at having bilateral capacity building programmes with NIPOST in the areas of Information Technology, administration, financial services and leadership related programmes, to help improve upon the existing skill sets.
Speaking on the commemoration of Mahatma Gandhi, he noted that Gandhi is the apostle of peace, nonviolence and the father of India nation and urged Nigeria to release postal stamp to mark the anniversary.
“Rightly, Mahatma Gandhi is relevant to modern day world not just Nigeria and India and many other countries. We would look at his preaching in a manner that it really helped to improve not only the relationship within the countries but also between the countries and his method of nonviolence remains highly relevant in today’s world” he ended.
