NIPOST stresses importance of letter writing

THE Senior Assistant, Postmaster General and Head, Corporate Affairs, Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), Mrs Simbiat Lawal, says the post office is a unifying body connecting every aspect of the society through letter writing.

Lawal told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja that the postal service is an agency of government that engenders nation-building by engaging citizens, especially children in letter writing.

According to her, even more developed countries still encourage the act of letter writing because of its capacity to develop individual’s intellectual capacity.

“We want to be able to ignite them. We want to educate them and enlighten them on reasons why they still need to write letters.

“Even in the Western world where internet is almost everywhere, letters are still written; how much more in our country here.

“We must not allow ourselves to just be consumers of technology without thinking.

“I want to let the people know why they still need to write letters because the post is here to build the nation; to connect every single aspect of the society, no matter how remote.

“This is done by person to person; and letter writing is what we call letter post. So we must not let the spirit die; we must not let letter writing and posting die,’’

She said that letter writing brings countries together and through it, people share emotions and experiences that would have been otherwise hidden.

Lawal urged parents and guardians to encourage their wards and children to write letters, adding that teachers alone should not be left with this text if children’s intellectual capacity must be built.

“Recently a 15-year Taiwanese won the letter writing competition organised by the United Nations. We are hoping that one day, a Nigerian child too will win such prize.

“This competition had given this child the opportunity to be on the world map.

“So also other children that had won the competition in the past. They are exposed to other cultures and people and become more informed as this is made possible by the postal service.

“There is no way this will happen if you do not practice how to write letters. There is no way you will write letters for the first time in an exam hall, if you have not been writing it.

“Letters can be kept for life and when you do that, you keep somebody’s emotion for life. So post is very relevant as it brings about this connectivity,’’ she said.

NAN reports that the Universal Postal Union (UPU), the parent body of postal services across the world, organises International Letter-Writing Competition among children annually.

It aims to improve literacy through the art of letter-writing, targeted at children and young people.

The annual competition encourages participants to express their creativity and refine their language skills.

Speaking on other aspects of the postal service, Lawal said that the agency would introduce new products like the bulk post which had to do with organisations that handled a lot of bulk documents like the Stock Exchange.

“Bulk post is meant for people and organisations who generate a lot of letters from their office, which they need to deliver to other people around the world.

“For example, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), their work has to do with a lot of dividend warrants, certificates and all of that that is bulky.

“The post makes it convenient to dispatch.

“Other products include: Special Delivery Service, Post Cash, Haulage and Logistic,’’ she said.

He talked about the introduction of the National Mail Route Scheme (a partnership scheme between NIPOST and private transporters).

“All these are meant and tailored at meeting and satisfying contemporary customers’ tastes and demands.”