The members of Ogun State Cooperative Federation Limited (OGSCOFED) on Wednesday embarked on a torrential prayer session and praise worship for the return of lost glory of Nigeria, which seems to be going into comatose.
The inter-religious prayer session which involved both the Christians and Islamic worshippers took place at the secretariat of the federation in Asero area of Abeokuta.
The event was led by the President of the Federation, Alhaji Wasiu Olaleye accompanied by other executives, with other members from the various Branches and Zones across the State in attendance.
Olaleye who added that, the prayer session has been an annual event for the federation to usher in new year, emphasised that, peace and love of Nigeria and Nigerian remained paramount
The federation boss pointed out that cooperative societies is the economic engine of any country as it provides financial assistance to more than one quarter of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMES) in the states.
“Cooperative society is the economic buffer to any country. It can be categorized as the financial, because we finance more than a quarter of major small and medium businesses in the state’,he said
“And these data are not just from my hand but from survey conducted by GIZ, a German agency for international corporation working with the state. GIZ made a research conducted 2 years ago and it was specifically stated that about 26% of the business in the state are getting their finance from corporative society. This percentage of the people operating small business in the state, so it cannot be neglected”, Olaleye stated
In his own remarks, Mr. David Ayelabola, who is the Executive Secretary of the Federation emphasized that the prayer session was the 5th year running in the history of the organisation.
The scribe added that the practice is to commit the society and it’s members to God for a successful business year, while noting that 2021 was though,but said the society still managed to declare surpluses to members at the last Annual General Meeting in December, 2021.
“We have being doing but this one come out to be the best edition, it the first we are having in the in state. Every January is our annual prayer meeting, we are to come together and pray for all the cooperation, as it for us in the prayer to have financial surplus and the members to have benefits so far in the cooperative. Year 2021 was tough, it affected so many of our society in areas of declaring of surplus but not like the other years like 2019”.
Vice President of the Federation Mrs. Ajayi Adenike from Remo Branch I of OGSCOFED Limited in her remarks expressed appreciation to members for giving her the opportunity to serve as the first woman on the board.
The number two members of the federation expressed optimism that more women should be given same opportunities, adding that the new executives depends on God to deliver on it’s promises to members,and called on other members to give necessary support to the new executive.
“Thank God for his mercy, thank God for the opportunity given to us, I think there’s nothing we can do in life without prayer in life. God first, God says do mine first and other things shall be added onto you’.
“I think the opportunity given to me being the first woman to be in the Ogun state Cooperative Federation Is a great height for all women. It shows that no matter any level you can attain it as a woman. We are more prudent than the men in terms of spending, so more women should be given same opportunities as mine in the future”, she stressed
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