The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan, has called on the leadership of the INEC Staff Multi-Purpose Co-Operative Society to uphold the commission’s key principles of transparency, integrity, and accountability.
Amupitan made the remarks in his keynote address at the Society’s Annual General Meeting and election event.
He advised the cooperative’s leadership to exercise prudence in managing members’ funds and ensure that internal elections are conducted fairly and freely.
The INEC chairman stressed the need for zero tolerance toward corruption and mismanagement of members’ savings.
He said, “Corruption, in any form, is a poison to any institution, especially one built on collective trust.”
Highlighting the co-operative’s primary purpose, Amupitan emphasized the importance of members’ welfare, particularly in the current challenging economic climate.
“As the custodian of the electoral process, I must impress upon the leadership of this great society, both outgoing and incoming, a critical set of values that must be non-negotiable.
“First, you must prioritise deft financial management and transparency. The co-operative money belongs to its members, and the executive is merely a trustee. Your books must be open, your transactions traceable, and your decisions justifiable.
“Second, you must eschew corruption and commit to absolute accountability. Corruption in any form is a poison to any institution, especially one built on collective trust. There must be zero tolerance for the mismanagement of members’ savings. Cooperative money is not for party celebration. Every naira must be accounted for and dedicated to profitable ventures to improve members’ welfare.
“The core purpose of the co-operative is members’ welfare. In these challenging economic times, the co-operative is a reliable option for staff to save and support one another,” he said.
Amupitan, reiterating his commitment to staff welfare, urged the cooperative leadership to ensure fair access to benefits and loans for all members, regardless of position or connections.
“The exco must be guided at all times by the rules of the multipurpose society and the principles of fairness, justice, and equity. Good investment focus and forward-thinking approach will help the society build a more resilient future,” he said.
On the cooperative election, Amupitan called on the society to emulate the same “discipline, fairness, and transparency” that govern the national electoral process.
He also commended the cooperative President, Mr. Nenrot Gana, who was returned unopposed, and his Executive Committee for successfully managing the society in the past fiscal year and for the strong participation recorded.
Amupitan reaffirmed INEC’s support for the Staff Multi-Purpose Co-operative Society as a crucial component of its staff welfare framework and pledged backing for the society’s housing project initiative.
“There is nothing as bad as working all your entire life and there is no home to retire to. I know there are some policies and interventions of government that we can key into to see how we can think of owner-occupier houses for staff members, not just in the Federal Capital Territory but other states. We will work with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Ministry of Finance to ensure that all those interventions that are available for housing, we are able to key in and ensure that we maximise the welfare of staff,” he said.
He urged members to allow the electoral process to strengthen unity and collaboration within the INEC family and encouraged them to continue working together to build a stronger, more resilient, and competitive cooperative.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the cooperative declared a surplus income of N34,475,508 for 2024 after expenditures, compared to N21,656,126 in 2023.
The Secretary to the Commission, Dr. Rose Oriaran-Anthony, congratulated the society and its executive for a successful fiscal year.
Oriaran-Anthony noted that the cooperative has not only been among the best in Nigeria but has also strengthened welfare and working relationships among staff and across INEC’s offices in the 36 states and the FCT.
“You have been able to establish healthy relationships. The work that you do has complemented the work of the commission in offering us healthy relationships among staff members,” she said.
She, however, acknowledged that there is room for improvement in the coming years and expressed optimism that the commission’s planned microfinance bank would become a reality by 2026.
