What does it matter with postal matters? Quite a lot of potentials in today’s high-end, smart, tech-market, but seemingly untapped. Hmm! I hear you! Do people still write and post love letters to loved ones in remote and distant places? Yes, because the literate world is still largely illiterate. And please, let’s not argue with numbers yet. It is rather too early in the day (of our journey) to banter in figures. Maybe, as the journey progresses. Maybe.
In brief, let us go down memory lane to stimulate our interest in the topic at hand: Postal Matters.
The history of the post is intimately bound with that of civilization. However, the very first known postal document found in Egypt, dates back to 255BC. Earlier than this discovery, postal services existed on nearly every continent in the form of messengers serving kings and emperors.
Overtime, religious orders and universities added their own message delivery systems as a way of exchanging news and information. Relay stations were set up along the messengers’ routes to spread delivery over long distances.
The discovery of numerous far off lands opened up a vast field of activity for international trade and gave ‘postal matters’ an enormous boost. Intellectual and commercial relations among people demanded a communications system that would cover a greater area. Emperor Fredrick III established between 1440 and 1493 in his empire and the Hereditary states, an international postal service that would “convey private correspondent and individuals against suitable payment that the royal service did not suffer prejudice thereby.”
The postal service established communication between the Hereditary states of Austria, the German Empire, Italy, France and Spain. Franz Von Taxis, the reformer emerged later to give the postal service its modern form and adapted it to suite people’s social and economic needs. The Taxis Postal Service still existed in the Germany of 1867, at which period it was taken over by the Prussian government. And it was not until the 17th century that the first international postal treaty was established.
On the 9th October, 1874 an umbrella body for national postal services across the world was formed by 22 plenipotentiary of nations who came together to launch the world’s largest physical distribution network known as the Universal Postal Union (UPU). The network was established to convey postal articles such as letters, postcards, newspaper, books, documents, packets, parcels and other articles that are transmissible by post from one destination to another across the world in postage rates for people.
The 22 plenipotentiary nations that formed the UPU on 9th October 1874 were: Austria, Hungary, Belgium, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Great Britain, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and USA. Their meeting was held at a congress called in Berne, Switzerland in 1874. Currently, UPU’s membership network criss-crosses 189 countries. Did I hear you say “Story, Story?” That’s ok. Take this bit of information as authentic, the Government of Nigeria, at this moment in living history is making billions of naira monthly from one postal article only – Stamp Duties! Don’t ask me how is that in figures. Ask Godwin Emefiele?
Today’s high-end, smart-tech-market through its integrated network has hijacked virtually all of postal articles such as letters, post-cards, newspapers, books, documents, even postage stamps but not – wait for this: packets and parcels!
Till Postal Matters come across your way again, please keep all the muscles on your fingertips active. Hold a biro, pen – write something down on a piece of paper…
JOSEPH OJO,
Once served as the Personal Assistant
To the Postmaster General of the
Federation, within the period 1995-2000
He lives in Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria
Telephone: 08023359440, 08092352406
Email: [email protected]
POSTAL ADDRESS:
Multiple Image Nigeria Limited
Glory Plaza, Adebisi Bus-Stop,
Iyesi Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria.
c/o District Postal Manager,
Ota Post office, Ogun State.
