Anambra inaugurates 7-man COFAS executive member otter in Cooperative department, Ministry of Industry
By Amaka Isikala/Ebele Iyke -Odili
The Government of Anambra State through the office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Industry, Barr. Samuel Ike has inaugurated a seven-man executive members of Cooperative Federation of Anambra State (COFAS) in Cooperative Department of the Ministry of Industry to pilot the affairs of the body.
Members of the elected executive include:
Ogochukwu Soludo President, Eusebius Okechukwu, Vice President, Adaobi Okongwu Secretary and Philomena Eneh as Assistant Secretary
Others are Augustine Ezedinachi Treasurer, Pius Onyegbuna Financial Secretary and Christian Okwudili as the PRO.
The Permsnent Secretary while addressing the newly instituted exco members charged them to work within the armbit of the law for effective service delivery.
"We have the seven man elected members of the committee which would later be made up to ten as enshrined in the bye law.
"It is necessary that the old hands among you should sharpen the new hands and be able to work together.
"We are dreaming towards having a better COFAS in Anambra state.If there is a way we can be the first among the states,that is our dream.
"We have actually stayed in the state without COFAS that we can boost of and we have started discussing with the Solicitor General to give us the people that would form the panel for effective running of coperative activities in the state."
The Director Coperative Department, Mrs. Nwabugo Okonkwo commended the efforts of the Commissioner, Mr. Christian Udechukwu and the Permanent Secretary who has been supportive through their directives and edge to mount on and abide unto.
"Its a pleasure having all the struggles and coming out with the present board.
We believe that all the new executive members are going to carry us far and make Anambra state the number one in terms of coperative activities."
The National Vice President COFAS South East zone,Elder Hypolite Uzoka emphasized that if we had continued to take coperative serious,we won't depend on the North and some part of South West for food production because they had kept fate with coperative.
The Vice President stressed that the government overtime have stopped supporting coperators and the coperative department which has given rise to food insecurity.
He said, "there was need for serious decision that would help to embrace and recultivate the interest in coperative as well as massive coperative education which is the key to driving a viable coperative activities.
"Coperative is all about wealth creation and distribution which reduces unemployment and diffuses tension.
"You have one of the best governors in the south east, Governor Soludo is the best practising governor with wheel of delivery and one sure way he can deliver more to the people is in oporating coperative activities to gather greater momemtum in food sufficiency".
Uzoka commended the ministry for working to see the rebirth of coperative sociaties in Anambra state.
Prof. Emma Okechukwu a coperative consultant noted that coperative department is a service department while stressing that it is not a money yielding voyage.
"We produce people who assist the government with money and for us to keep producing people who will render financial assistance to the government, there is need to develop cooperative departments".
Prof. Okechukwu said that training was imperative to ignite the enthusiasm of tilting towards coperative for improved living standard of the people.
The newly instituted President, Dr. Ogochukwu Soludo expressed happiness and honour done to him and his colleagues to provide credible leadership.
"I wish to state that we are very grateful for the opportunity to serve and contibute to the growth, prosperity, welfare and wellbeing of coperators, cooperative societies and cooperative movement locally and internationally"
"I express my gratitude to the commissioner for Industry, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Industry, the Director of cooperative, and other stakeholders.
"Your combined efforts have brought us this far as there was peaceful, smooth,
transparent and credible election that produced the new Board of Management for COFAS.
Mr. Ifunanya Umeji a Coperative Revolutionist while addressing the members during the orientation session explained that a cooperative society is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned democratically controlled enterprise.
He posited that according to the Nigerian Coperative Societies Act, a cooperative society is a voluntary association of individuals united by common bond, who have come together to pursue their economic goals for their own benefits.
"Coperative identity refers to the unique characteristics that define a coperative and distinguish it from other types of organisations and it is based on shared values, principles and structures that guide how coperatives societies operate."
Mr. Umeji also said that cooperative societies are guided by a set of core values and principles that shape their operations which include mutual self help, self responsibility, democracy,
equity, equality, solidarity,
honesty and social responsibility.
*Cooperative identity will trigger Anambra coperative revolution through diligent and official mobilisation of human and material resources for Anambra Ministry of Industry, Anambra coperative hub for the best interests of coperatives and humanity.
*Amaka and Ebele are of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State*.
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