By LEONARD OKACHIE

The Abia Chapter of the INEC Staff Welfare Association (ISWA) has warned its members to uphold the integrity of the commission and guard against the culture of manipulating election results.

The Abia Chairman of the association, Mr Collins Eze, gave the advice at the group?s general meeting and end-of-year party in Umuahia.

Speaking in an interview with newsmen on the sideline of the ceremony, Eze said that the staff members were adequately aware of their enormous responsibility and should ensure free, fair and credible elections.

He said: ?We have also told our colleagues that anywhere they find themselves they should make sure that they do the needful by ensuring transparency in the conduct of elections.

?We have always told them not to allow anybody to induce them with money to manipulate election results.

?I?m happy that they have been building the capacity of our colleagues on election processes.

?So, in the coming years, we won?t have any problem in ensuring free, fair and peaceful elections.?

He said that the end-of-year party was special as it afforded them the opportunity ?to wine and dine together as well as thank God for sustaining them in 2024?.

Eze said that his leadership had introduced various means of assisting members in dire financial needs by providing platforms to solicit support for them.

He expressed gratitude to members for their support and cooperation, describing them as the ?secret behind the success of this administration?.

He said that 34 of at least 350 staff members of the commission in the state retired from service in 2024.

According to him, the development has placed a huge financial burden on the association, in terms of their welfare and entitlement as members.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that each member received a carton of tomato paste as Christmas gift from the association. (NAN)