By; JULIANA KATUNG, Kaduna
Staff of the Kaduna State House of Assembly (KDHA) have been advised to take opportunity of the loans provided to them by the cooperative society to invest in agriculture for the betterment of their income and Nigeria’s economy.
The call was made by the KDHA Service Commission, General Muhammad Sani Saleh (rtd) during the 2018 Annual General Meeting of the Assembly Staff Investment Co-operative Society Ltd.
According to him, investing in agriculture is one way to make life easy for civil servants both those in service and retired, thereby enhancing their income as well as boosting the economy of the state and country at large.
He added that investments will also prepare the intended retirees for their future retirement.
General Sale who was the chairman of the occasion, described the KDHA cooperative as a well founded organisation being led by a viable leadership who still make profit despite the economic challenges facing the country, hence the need for staff to take it very serious.
“In a developing country like Nigeria, the importance of co-operative societies cannot be over emphasized. Development is about funding and funding is about the availability of money and government doesn’t have enough money. Many countries depend on the citizens savings to fund capital projects”.
“These countries get their funding for capital or any other projects through contributions and saving of their citizens. That why co-operative societies are very important to developing countries like Nigeria”. He noted
He therefore called on all staff of the KDHA who are yet to join the society to do so, to enable them enjoy the benefits being enjoyed by already existing members.
Earlier, the president of the co-operative society, Mr. Abel H. Adamu said the society over the year under review, made a turnover progress of N136,239,285,78.
“Never the less, the business activities of this great society unlike in the year 2016 which though we made profit, cannot be compared with the one for 2017 in which the above turnover in spite of the challenges was made and four million Naira profit has been shared among the co-operators,” he emphasized.
He said the members of the cooperative in the year under review also enjoyed cash loans, government quarters; land and landed property, social responsibility fund specially the retired members, investment loans, commodity load, training for retiring staff to prepare them on how to face their economic pursuit after retirement among others benefits in the year 2017.
The president while saying that the leadership of the cooperative is working tirelessly towards getting building materials for their members, encouraged all co-operators to be more prudent with any form of opportunity as well as emphasized on the open door policy and called on all their members to offer constructive advice for the success of the society.
Speaking on the role of a co-operative society in a depressed economy, Mr Austine Buden from Department of Co-operative Studies, Kaduna Polytechnic said that the many cooperative societies in Nigeria if well manage can change the economic situation of Nigeria for the better.
