The Executive Secretary, National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), Mallam Ado Muhammed Yahuza has called on the Executives of NICO Multipurpose Cooperative Society (NIMCOS) to always uphold the tenets of integrity, transparency and honesty, stressing that it is the only way to sustain the legacy they have built over the years.

Yahuza who made this call during a courtesy visit by the Cooperative Executives also said trust and truthfulness are equally central if they must discharge their functions dutifully and maintain a strong Cooperative.

According to him, the cooperative is very essential and indispensable as far as staff welfare is concerned in any work place because it serves as immediate backup for members who may have pressing needs that require financial support.

His words “I know that Cooperative Societies are very important in the work place because when things get tough for staff and there is no money, they can always run to the cooperative knowing that deductions will be made from source which makes it easy for staff so far as their salaries are running and on the other hands, makes the Cooperative to have some money through interest on loans”.

While commending the Executives for maintaining a strong and rich Cooperative Society and its continued tradition of assisting members the way it should be, the NICO Boss said a Cooperative is supposed to be the collective cooperation of all the members as everybody is equal irrespective of who they are. He stressed that so long as one is a member, they should be accorded equal rights saying nobody should be seen to be above another.

He said with the dwindling resources allocated by government to Ministries, Departments and Agencies, it is the Cooperative Societies in these MDA’s that provide a platform for workers to fall back to, with a comparatively less interest rate as obtained from the banks.

Further stressing the importance of a Cooperative Society, Yahuza had this to say “The cooperative is important that even when people retire from service, sometimes it takes more than one year after retirement to access your funds except the money you keep with the cooperative that will sustain you. For me, by January 2021, I will like to also be part of your cooperative so that between now and the five years I was given, I should be able to save some money so that when am going, I should be able to get something to go home with”.

The NICO Boss therefore urged the Executives to always try to be sympathetic with members who have pressing financial needs, saying even if the cooperative has to be firm and strong, there are certain humanitarian situations that may require them to assist members. He said even when a member is already on loan and he or she runs to the Cooperative with a genuine reason, there is a way they can be helped.

It is not that you become Father Christmas but you see this human task is very important but at the same time you need to be strong and stick to the rules so there is need for you to do some balancing”.

“This compassion is very important in a Cooperative. You have to be strict quite okay because if you are strict, people will take advantage of you but at the same time, have a little bit of compassion on your members. Sometimes you bend the rules a little just to do the needful because that is the essence of a Cooperative Society”.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Cooperative, Mr. Ibrahim Kantoma said the Executives were on the visit to officially congratulate the Executive Secretary on his appointment and solicit the cooperation of Management in running the Cooperative.

Other Executive members who accompanied him were Mrs. Loretta Enwezor (Vice Chairman); Thomas Omopariola (General Secretary); Mrs. Salamatu Yahaya Bello (Financial Secretary); Mrs. Finelady Mushinwa (Auditor); Mrs Sherifat Abdulrazzak (Treasurer); and Mrs. Adelabu Idris Iyaduni (Welfare/PRO).

Caleb Nor
Media Asst.-ES
NICO HQ
Abuja-FCT