Nasarawa Govt advises workers to join cooperative societies

Nasarawa Govt advises workers to join cooperative societies
By Awayi Kuje
Welfare
Lafia, July 20, 2018 (NAN) The Nasarawa State Government on Friday advised workers in both public and private sectors to join and form cooperative societies in order to improve their socio-economic welfare.
Alhaji Tanko Zubairu, the state’s Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, gave the advice in Lafia during the 20th Annual General Meeting of Staff Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited, National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Lafia chapter.
He said that the call has become necessary due to the enormous importance of cooperative societies to all strata of the working class and to the socio-economic development of the country.
Zubairu, who was represented by Mr Andrew Abi, enjoined low income earners to appreciate the importance of cooperative society to their economic status and development of the society.
“The importance of forming cooperative societies among civil servants in any organisation, especially to the low income earners, to the socio-economic development of the country cannot be over-emphasised.
According to him, cooperative societies had enabled civil servants to build houses, pay fees for their children, further their education and cater for medical bills, among other benefits.
“It had also enabled low income earners to achieve goals that they would not have been attained on their own.
“The formation of savings and credit cooperative societies all over the world had helped a lot of civil servants to pool their resources together thereby improving on their socio-economic welfare.
“So, I want to call on the staff of this agency and other civil servants who are yet to form or join cooperative societies to do so, considering its enormous benefits in improving on the standard of living of members and others Nigerians,” he said.
He added that joining cooperative societies by civil servants would help in boosting their welfare as well as arresting their emergency financial problems.
Zubairu pointed out that civil servants would accomplish important projects and embark on investments, which they could not do as individuals, through cooperative societies.
The commissioner assured that the ministry would continue to initiate good policies and programmes that would have direct bearing on the lives of workers and the public for the overall development of the country.
Earlier, Mr Geoffrey Nanle, the Chairman, NDE Staff Multipurpose Cooperative Society, said that the AGM was designed, among other things, to review the activities of the association for the past one year.
“It will also give us the opportunity to render our stewardship, being half way into our tenure. We therefore solicit the assistance of our members to enable us succeed,’’ he said.
Nanle also called on the staff of the agency that were yet to join the cooperative to do so in their interest and for the overall economic development of the country.
He said that cooperative societies would also provide members with loans at lower interest rates than commercial banks and other financial institutions. (NAN)
AKW/KTO/MST
Edited by Kamal Tayo Oropo/Muhammad Suleiman Tola