National Wire About Nigerians, Nigerian Business and Other Stories
By Abiodun Omotosho
One of the members of Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon Yusuf Adebisi has appeal to the Government of the State to grant Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) to the members of the Lagos State Cooperative Federation (LASCOFED) who have acquired many landed properties that have not been able to get the C of O because they acquired the land in a rightful manner and they have receipts.
Adebisi who is also double as Chairman, Committee on Housing, Lagos State House of Assembly made the call as a keynote speaker during the Opening ceremony of the Lagos State Cooperative Federation Cooperative Leaders’ Conference 2019, held at Golden Tullip Hotel, Amuwo Odofin Estate, Festac, Lagos on Friday 5th December, 2019. The theme of the conference is “consolidating cooperative frontiers for productivity”. He said “I appeal to the Government of Lagos State they should help them to get the documents done because once they have the money. They have acquired the land in a rightful manner, they have receipts. When they reduce the proccessing C of O for them then Lagosian will be able to benefit collective will of the people of Lagos State”.
Adebisi encourages participants that they should diversify their own resources by investing on Agriculture that it is their own Petroleum. “They should take advantage of closure of border now to use their own initiative to create idea to invest on Agriculture because Agriculture to us in the south west is the petroleum as to them in the South South. So let make use of this very well so that a nation that can feed itself will be a nation that think very well. If you cannot feed yourself you cannot think well and so when you cannot think well then you cannot do things properly. If you feed well then you will be even embark on manufacturing activities”.
He maintain that the gathering showcase unequable set of participants differ to what he has seen before interms of the discipline that were exploited. “I travel very wide, I have seen where seminars are being held, but today the caliber of people it can be compare with any seminar in the world”. “They actually introduce incorcative discipline into the youths the value and ideas of cooperative society should not limited introduce cooperative society to the youths alone but should be part of our education curriculum right away from primary School to secondary school and university. So with that people will know how to manage their wealth; then the Commonwealth of the nation will not be embessled by individual because the discipline will have been there and that is what I have seen here today” he said.
On the numeric numbers of Cooperator, Adebisi said. “The numeric numbers of Cooperator here today by their own data is more than two Millions. So if they can contribute one one Thousand times two Millions that is two Billions. They are talking of house deficit that alone will be able to evacuate what they are talking about that is the minimum but land today in Lagos State you know how much it cost. But when they put their resources together they will be able to provide accommodation for every Cooperators and when you provide housing for the Cooperators, Cooperators are Lagosians so definitely we are reducing the housing deficit in Lagos State”.
In another manner, the outgoing President of LASCOFED, High Chief Tajudeen Oriyomi Ayeola appeal to operators and members of cooperative society all over Lagos State to pay attention to where their money is because it is their sweat. “You want to know those people you want to elect to lead by you. You want to look for people that are credit worthy, you want to know people with intergrity to lead you. So that you can not just begin to contribute to hear that your money are mismanaged or they are defraud us”. Further, he said the organisation is doing their part on enlighten the members through seminars, workshop and the likes. He excpect the members to do a lot. “We are doing our part to actually take care of that and the only way we can do apart from the government is to give adequate enlightenment which we have given. We Organize series of seminars, workshops and retreats to actually take on leaders through for them to know what is expected of them but members they have a lot to do”.
Chief Ayeola support the idea that the value and ideas of cooperatives should be introduced to the curriculum of our educational system. “Right from primary school they will be able to know that we are all contributors to the economic. We cannot be talking and we continue to feel that you go to secondary school. You go to university and as you are coming out there is that job for you especially from the government, no, that is not the case. What can you do for yourself? What will you do to turn yourself to even employer instead of employee? No, we cannot be seeking job but providing jobs and through Cooperatives you get this done! Just as we are able to show to the whole world that in Cooperatives you have access to funds and these funds with minimum and even sometime with stress free collateral, what we need is just two guarantors who of course necessary must be member of our system. Then you have access to find how to better your education, access to fund to fund the education of your children, access to fund to do a lot of things on your life”.
Earlier, the Secretary of LASCOFED, Mrs. Ebun Akin-Falaiye spoke that the objectives of the conference is to highlight the path to providing affordable homes to members through mortgage; to chart the way for the future of the cooperative movement; sustainability concern of the global cooperative movement; to keep abrest of technological solutions for cooperative operators and to highlight the social and economic opportunities that exist in health sector for cooperatives. (an agenda prescribed by ICA (Alliance Africa). The Secretary also honour and adore God for another opportunity to gather as a cooperative movement to deliberate on issues bothering on service delivery to cooperators and improvement of their livelihood.
Firstly, Ayeola observe a minute silence for the three cooperatives leaders that were lost in the out going year 2019. He commiserate with all cooperatives societies that also lost members and express appreciation of the President-in-Council and Board of LASCOFED, Cooperators and the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives. The outgoing President narrated his sojourn of eight years that is eventful, impactful and educative. “We particularly used this annual conference to navigate emerging trends in corporate and business world to rejig and expand cooperative operations in Lagos State”. “We came on board in 2012, the LASCOFED cooperative leaders’ conference hitherto referred to as cooperative leaders retreat has been an incubator for many cooperative ideas. These ideas metamorphosed into projects used to grow and develop Lagos State Cooperative Movement”.
On leadership role, Ayeola who’s tennor lapsed by July 2020 suggest the manager of cooperative to equip themselves in order to manage the cooperatives well. “What we are saying is that if you look at our system, becoming a cooperative leaders or managers or coordinator is so simple. You actually need nearly nothing to become a leader. You can be elected as much as is democratic base on your popularity with your members; you can be elected based on the simple fact that you are social. Therefore we are also telling our people immediately you now get yourself at the leadership level, you need to equip yourself with what is expected for you to lead fine. You cannot just be complaining there is no time, there is no time and you are in charge of money”.
“In Cooperatives you manage both human and funds, you are going to manage human beings and you are going to manage funds, therefore you need to equip yourself. And the second one, you continue to contribute money on monthly bases and you continue to complain that people are mismanaging the money. What are you doing? You are Professor, a PhD holder, you are a member of cooperative, you contribute as much as N100,000.00, N200,000.00 every month and you allow people that are not equipped with what is expected of life to manage your fund and what do you expect?
On her part, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives in the State, Dr. (Mrs.) Bola Balogun enjoy the participants to acquire knowledge, network and share experiences which would no doubt would come in handy in the management of societies and personal lives. She urge them to keep up the spirit of camaraderie which presently exists within the movement as exhibited in the joint cooperative union retreats. Also, she request that they should keep the cooperatives flag flying at full mast as she praise Cooperative in Lagos State. “My message to you is to keep the cooperatives flag flying at full mast. I make bold to say here that cooperatives in Lagos State have taken giant strides since the last two decades and our achievement are glaring for all to see”.
Balogun advise to manage well Cooperatives money. “Tax payers who pay tax to government and government uses tax to build public infrastructure. So we all have to take ownership. We have to realize that it is our money, our sweat therefore, we take ownership of our blood and sweat. Therefore we have to make sure the money is manage well just as the president said. We have to attend meetings and make sure that our leaders are accountable, the account are transparent”.
The four days event comprises of dinner/gala night, communique presentation, product presentation, medical checkup, LASCOFED board meetings, indoor games, group meetings, plenary sessions, early morning exercise among many other outings. Many members of cooperatives, leaders of cooperatives and members of the public grace the occasion. Also present at the conference is the Director of Cooperative Services, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives, Lagos State, Mrs.Olufunmilayo Ibrahim, LASCOFED Treasurer, Cooperator Olusegun Shodiya; 1st Vice President, Mrs. Etti-Osiobor Diamond. Others are: Barr. Oladipo Shobule, Mrs. Bosede Esan, Dr. Jubrin Paul Gbenga Ibilola, Mustapha Adewale, Corporate organisation present are: African Prudent Plc, Cooperative Mortgage Bank among other participants.
Photo Caption:
L-R: Managing Director/CEO Cooperative Mortgage Bank, Mr. Kabir Ayinde Tukur; Chairman, Committee on Housing, Lagos State House of Assembly/Keynote Speaker, Mr. Yusuf Adebisi; President, Lagos State Cooperative Federation (LASCOFED), High Chief Tajudeen Ayeola; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Cooperative, Lagos State, Dr. (Mrs.) Bolajoko Balogun; Director, Cooperative Services, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives, Lagos State, Mrs. Olufunmilayo Ibrahim and Managing Director/CEO, Family Homes Funds, Mr. Femi Adewole, during the 8thEdition of LASCOFED Leaders’ Conference 2019 in Lagos on 5/12/2019.
Photo: ABIODUN OMOTOSHO
