Mr Adebayo Shittu, the Minister of Communications says the Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST), will soon introduce Post Bank to bring banking services to rural dwellers.

Shittu said this while addressing journalists at his Ibadan residence on Sunday.

He said post bank would avail rural dwellers access to banking services through NIPOST offices across the country.

The minister also said the ministry would soon arrange with all foreign postal services to make the Express Mail Service (EMS) of NIPOST to handle all internal distributions across the country.

He said that such efforts were part of the reforms the ministry had planned in order to make NIPOST viable, relevant and effective.

“There is a law now on stamp duties. Every legal transactions above N1,000 would attract N50 levy as stamp duty.”

Shittu said the call for applications from suitable and competent individuals to be appointed as Post-Master General was in line with the transparency stance of the present administration.

“From the advert, we had 47 applications of which 21 had been selected for interview. The 21 would have their interviews from Wednesday to Friday on the basis of seven persons per day.

“I did not unilaterally choose an individual for reasons of due process and to uphold the present administration's principle of transparency.

“We have also ensured that our interviewers were drawn from all the ministries and agencies, including EFCC, ICPC and the Federal Character Commission.”

Shittu said the ministry would ensure rural areas had internet facilities, adding that Information and Communication Technology (ICT), had made activities convenient and easier.

The minister said ICT was capable of producing sufficient wealth for the nation, stressing that it was the highest employer of labour after agriculture.

Shittu said that the Treasury Single Account (TSA), through ICT, had blocked leakage and wastage of the nation's resources.

“For example, in Rwanda, the 4,000 public buses there were equipped with internet facilities. I think our people deserve this and they will be digitally smart.”

On Nigeria Telecommunications Limited (NITEL), the minister said the outfit had been sold by the Bureau of Public Enterprises during the last administration.

He said the outfit was sold to NICOMSAT and by law no more in existence, and the new outfit would take off any moment from now.

Shittu said the ministry would meet with telecommunications outfits in the country during the week to inform them of sanctions on dropped calls and unsolicited messages considered to be a rip-off.

He expressed determination to make a meaningful difference during his tenure as minister. (NAN)

•Photo shows Bayo Shittu.