The Acting Chief Judge of Kogi State, Hon. Justice Josiah Majebi,
has reiterated his commitment to improving the welfare of Kogi Judiciary staff saying that the Cooperative, Credit and Thrift Society of the institution was key to actualizing that vision.
According to him, it is only from who much is given that much would be expected. So any organisation that wishes to derive maximum output in diligence and dedication from her workers must as well be committed to adequately renumerate her workforce.
He made this assertion when he received the report submitted by the subcommittee of the state’s Council of Judges that looked into the affairs of the state’s Judiciary Staff Cooperative, Credit and Thrift Society at the state’s Judiciary headquarters in Lokoja.
The CJ who appreciated the committee for a work well done said the report submitted would be fully implemented as it is aimed at further strengthening the Society to continue its intervention in cushioning the financial needs of workers. He said since the Council has put workers’ welfare at the front burner, it was important to evaluate its performance over the years with a view to repositioning it along with other organs of the judiciary.for optimal performance in service delivery to workers.
He thereafter made the committee a substantive one in order to continue overseeing and constantly guiding the leadership of the society to serve Judiciary staff better. Likewise, he directed that elections be conducted into the executive positions of the society within a month and an external auditor be engaged within the same period to scrutinize and straighten the financial records of the society so that the incoming executive members would begin on a clean slate.
Submitting the report earlier, the Chairman of the two-man Committee,
Hon. Justice Moses Gwatana,
alongside his other member, Hon. Justice Aisha Muhammed,
had before relaying the
committee’s findings and observations,
to the Acting Chief Judge
commended the Acting Chief Judge for constituting the committee which he said was inaugurated “pursuant to his (CJ’s) clear vision and mission of improving the integrity of the state judiciary”.
Ho told the CJ that the committee interfaced with the society’s principal officers and some of her other members and consulted her account books for the facts that informed the observations leading to its recommendations.
He reeled out such observations as “complaints from bonafide members of the Cooperative Society” and “disaffection among the members of the cooperative as a result of selected or few members fun benefiting from loans as against the general members of the cooperative”.
He said the committee therefore made far-reaching recommendations which, if fully implemented, would benefit the organization and its members.
It recommended that a fresh election should be held to replace it’s current Exco members “as the present management members are overdue”; it also asked that a new bye-law be drafted to take cognisance of current administrative realities that will further help the management of the body.
The committee also said “there should be an urgent call of a general meeting of the cooperative members which shall be sustained yearly as prescribed in their present bye-law to discuss and or elect the new executive members”. In addition, the committee said “since the present bye-law is obsolete, the elected members that will form the new management team should immediately constitute a committee who shall see to it that a new bye-law comes to light for the smooth running” of the Society”.
It went further to ask that members of the society be selected from each Senatorial District of the state to help in the day-to-day running of the activities of the society and also serve as a check on the excesses of the Exco members while also recommending the engagement of “an external auditor to audit the accounts of The CTC annually”.
The Chairman said the new exco and the three representatives would also ensure seamless transition and obviously the
equitable “disbursement of dividends to members” if recommendations of the Committee were implemented.
He finally thanked the CJ for giving them the assignment saying they were humbled.
“We at this juncture, wish to express our profound gratitude and sincere appreciation to you, Hon. Justice J. J. Majebi, the Acting Chief Judge of Kogi State Judiciary. We are humbled, that out of a deep pool of seasoned jurists in the High Court.of Justice, you picked and honoured us to undertake this all-important assignment. We shall forever remain grateful. This is an experience we will always cherish and treasure” he said.
