The Odua Cooperative Conglomerate Ltd, on Thursday, honoured the sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Chief Akinpelu Obisesan with excellent cooperative leadership awards posthumously, for their immense contributions to cooperative development in the South West States.
The late premier of the defunct Western Region was acknowledged for formulating policies that actually kick-start cooperative societies in the region, at the Grand Finale of the celebrations of the 1952 Cooperative Policy, in the South West Region, held in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
The President, Co-operative Federation of Nigeria, Chief Tajudeen Ayeola, while addressing cooperators drawn from Ekiti; Lagos; Ogun; Osun; Ondo and Oyo States, urged the government of the South West States to follow the footsteps of Awolowo, by partnering with Cooperative federation in their respective states, so as to remain relevant.
He said, “Awolowo is one of the greatest Nigeria that ever lived. He actually formulated a policy that brought about Cooperative Society in the South West.”
The President of Odua Cooperative Conglomerate Ltd, Elder Bamidele Ajibode, commended Awolowo for injecting €1million to the Cooperative Union of Western Nigeria to boost the economy development of the region through the trading of Cocoa and other farm produce.
“I should like to, at this juncture, commend our heroes past, dead and living, whose efforts, discipline and determination we are celebrating today. It is the foundation they laid, we are building upon.
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“The likes of the Sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, whose government emplaced the policy. Also worthy to mention are the likes of Chief Akinpelu Obisesan; Ambassador Rasaq Siyanbola, those whom we are celebrating posthumously,” he added.
In his remarks, the President of Ogun State Cooperative Federation, Alhaji Wasiu Olaleye, said the purpose of celebrating the 70th Anniversary of Cooperative Policy of the Western Region in 1952, was to celebrate and appreciate the work done by those that have contributed to the development of cooperative policy.
The Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, said his administration would soon begin the disbursement of N1billion grant to boost the development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the State.
The governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Community Development and Cooperative, Hon. Abayomi Hunye, described cooperative societies as agents of development who have contributed immensely to the growth of the State’s Gross Domestic Products (GDP).
He disclosed that his administration disbursed over N50 million as support fund to cooperative societies in 2021.
Abiodun while underscoring the contribution of cooperative societies to the socioeconomic development of the state, said “Cooperative, as it is an agent of development and there is no government that can do without it. When you look at the volume of the people that are involved in it, there is no way we put it aside.
“Members of cooperative societies contribute their meager amount of money and before you know it, it becomes bigger to lend to one another through different means and at the end of the day they are able to achieve what they are able to achieve with their meager salaries. And, in turn, they contribute to the growth of economy of the State and the nation as a whole.
“Just in 2021, we gave over N50 million to as support to the cooperative movement and right now, Mr. Governor has also approved the sum of N1 billion to support the MSMEs in Ogun State in which members of the cooperative societies are also part of them,” the governor added.
