Justice Anim Yeboah receiving the certificate of incorporation from Director of Co-Operative Fund, Kwame Yeboah Apraku while JUSAG President, Samuel Afotey Otu looks on
The Chief Justice, Anin Yeboah, has launched a Judicial Service Staff Co-operative Fund (JUSCO Fund) to provide financial services to members of the Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG) and and other staffs of the Judicial Service.
The Fund is expected to, among other things, provide financial relief by providing soft loans with low interest rates to the staff and other stakeholders.
Speaking at a ceremony to launch the Fund, Justice Anin Yeboah commended the vision of the current leadership of JUSAG’s vision of setting up the Fund as it will bring financial respite to staff whenever they needed financial assistance.
He, however, cautioned the managers of the Fund to demonstrate integrity, accountability and transparency which is a duty they owe to their members.
“In the name of accountability, the Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG) Executives must not dare to fail to manage the fund with integrity while upholding the laws of the cooperative at all times… There is nothing more distractive in association’s or organisation’s or a fund of this nature when people do not own themselves up to account to the beneficiaries of the fund,” he said.
Chief Justice Anin Yeboah touched on the importance of an effective management of the Fund, by investing in assets that will reap maximum gains while retaining a portion of inflows to meet the need of members.
“My passionate plea to you is that you are taking care of people’s money. Just as you take good care of your own money, please this is more serious because it doesn’t belong to you,” he added.
A Justice of the Court of Appeal, Justice Senyo Dzamefe, urged the managers of the Fund to be transparent and shun any form of discrimination in the management of the Fund.
He cautioned the managers not to lord themselves over the members, indicating that “Don’t take it as an opportunity to lord over your members… the playing field must be levelled. Don’t say because A is my friend or B is my friend you give them priority, no. If your friends are not qualified, they don’t qualify.
Justice Dzamefe also called on members of the Fund to endeavour to pay back monies that would be loaned to them so that there would be enough fund to loan to others who need it.
Samuel Afotey Otu, President of JUSAG, said the Fund formed part of his campaign promise to the members to ensure their financial independence, which was the goal of every Ghanaian.
“I will love to add that JUSCOFund is non-discriminatory. It is voluntary and open to all staff of the service; from the cleaners, watchmen, artisans to high court registrars, chief registrars and our able directors. The Judges and Magistrates are equally qualified to join the JUSCOFund,” he noted.
Mrs. Dorinda Smith Arthur, a Circuit Court Judge, who played an important role in the drafting the laws governing the cooperative, lauded JUSAG Executives for choosing a cooperative, which would afford members with low salaries to invest in the fund.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak