Somalilandsun -Erigavo post office has been sold more than a year ago for $70,000 to a private telecommunication company although there was no pressing need to do so.
The post office has always been a communication gateway for the people of Erigavo . It had started with the mail distribution through bicycle riding postmen during the British colonial era in the early 20th century. It had also been useful and famous for the Relay Telegram services (RT) and later in Telex and telephones. The post office has been a land mark built by the British colonial rule in the early 20th century. It had always caught the attention of people passing by because of its location at the centre of the town as well as the services to the local population or because of its structure marked by tile pathways that lead into its gate. It also had the unique feature, unlike many of the surrounding buildings , which was that of the postmaster behind the glass counter attending to the clients with a support clerk attending to RT and postage sales.
Unconfirmed sources say that it was sold to the private company by Erigavo regional governorate.
Medeshi contacted former members of the Post Office who confirmed to us that the funds have been deposited into the account of the Somaliland ministry of finance and are waiting for the release of the funds to initiate the construction of New Erigavo post office.
Almost a year after the sale of the vintage post office for such a petty amount of money to a private company , no post office has been built in replacement of the sold one.
The people of Erigavo need a public post office. Private telecommunication companies are already in full swing but are expensive and in most occasions unaffordable by the ordinary people . Those who cannot afford the highly priced private telephone services should avail of the presumably already subsided postal services by the government.
I think the sale of this vintage and historic landmark should not have been conducted without obtaining the consent of the public and the stake holders . I urge Erigavo public to be vigilant and scrutinize the destination of the revenue from the sale of the post office. A new post office should be built for the people or the old one should be renovated and its illegal sale revoked.
BY Medehi
