The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Commandant General, Abubakar Ahmed Audi, has urged the executive officials of the Agency’s Cooperative and Investment Society Limited to develop strategies to enhance the welfare of its members through packages such as housing, car, and farming loan schemes.
NSCDC spokesperson Babawale Afolabi announced this in a statement, noting that Audi made the remarks while delivering a keynote address at a 3-Day National Summit of Cooperative Executives.
The summit, themed “Recessed Economy: Options for Cooperatives for Self-Reliance and Sustainability,” was held on Thursday at the National Headquarters of the Corps, where Audi declared the event open.
In his address, Audi praised the role of the Cooperative and Investment Society Limited as an independent body. He emphasized that his administration is committed to fostering robust staff welfare by working closely with the Cooperative to improve the economic conditions of NSCDC personnel.
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The Commandant General, who is also the Grand Patron of the NSCDC Cooperative, encouraged personnel to align with the Cooperative’s objectives. He highlighted that with the Corps’ large population, significant achievements can be made if the majority of staff become members.
“It is time for us to develop strategies to include all personnel. The Corps is a large paramilitary agency, and with our size, we can determine the viability of our Cooperative,” the Commandant General said.
He took the opportunity to commend the Corps personnel for their outstanding performance during the recent nationwide protest against bad governance. He noted their professionalism as a testament to the positive changes within the Corps.
Earlier, in a welcome address, the NSCDC Cooperative President, Assistant Commandant of Corps (ACC) Oladeji Jones Aina, explained that the summit was organized in response to current inflation and other economic issues, as well as the need to ensure the Cooperative’s sustainability.
Aina praised the Commandant General for his support, which has significantly advanced the Cooperative’s efforts to establish a Micro Finance Bank.
He also highlighted the need to review the IPPIS platform to prioritize Cooperative deductions over other non-statutory deductions, given that the Cooperative society is the second most important welfare vehicle of the service.
Goodwill messages were also delivered by the Director of Cooperatives, Federal Capital Territory Administration, Mr. Salako Olusegun, and the Special Assistant on Cooperatives and Farmers’ Welfare to the Minister of State for Agriculture, Hon. Victor Oyodeke, who served as guest speakers at the Technical Session of the summit.
The Cooperative Society has approximately 35,000 members, and summit participants included executive members from the 36 state commands and the FCT.
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