EKSG plans to give loans through cooperative societies – Olusoga
Ekiti State Government would soon stop giving loans directly to
individual but instead issue out loans to beneficiaries through
cooperative societies and movements to ensure proper monitoring and
stress-free loan refund.
The Commissioner for Investment, Trade and Industries, Mr. David
Olusoga dropped the hint while declaring open National Executive
Council (NEC) meeting of the Institute of Cooperative Professionals of
Nigeria (ICOPRON) held in Ado-Ekiti.
Olusoga who described the Governor Kayode Fayemi-led administration
as a progressive government that is poised to drive the state economy
through public-private partnership, said that cooperative
organizations would be encouraged and mobilized to play active roles
in the economic emancipation of the state.
He assured that the number of cooperative societies would have risen
above a thousand at the end of this administration, while support
would be given to them to invest in buildings and enterprises that
would be of immense benefits to their members and the society at
large.
The Commissioner guaranteed that the governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi would
mobilize members of the National Assembly from Ekiti State, as well as
other All Progressive Congress (APC) National Assembly members across
the country to facilitate accelerated passage of the bill establishing
the institute in the country.
In his address, the President of the Institute, Mr. Olubunmi Fajobi
said that the establishment of the Institute of Cooperative
Professionals of Nigerians (ICOPRON) was conceived to bring together
all cooperative bodies, including regulators in government, societies,
the academia and other stakeholders in the cooperative profession
under one umbrella to meet the international best practices.
Mr. Fajobi said that it was high time the professional cooperators
come together to fashion out ways to move the profession up like other
similar bodies in Nigeria that have been fully rooted.
He added that the state chapter of the Institute would be inaugurated
at the on-going NEC meeting in Ado-Ekiti, with an appeal to the State
government to intervene in the speedy passage of the bill establishing
the institute which had been in the national assembly since the 6th
assembly, to give a legal credence to the organization.
In his welcome address, the Deputy Director of Cooperative in the
state, Mr. R.O. Ajanaku said that the establishment of the Institute
was long overdue, calling on government to support its activities.