The Executive Chairman, Benue State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Comrade Joseph Utse, on Thursday Commissioned a store and a van vehicle built and donated by the SUBEB Staff Multipurpose Cooperative Society (SMCS) limited at the Board’s headquarters in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.
Comrade Utse charged the staff to continue to strengthen their cooperative society for them to share more dividends and to execute greater projects.
In a keynote address at the 21st Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the SMCS held same Thursday at Calivia Event Centre, Makurdi, the SUBEB Executive Chairman represented by Permanent Member 1 at the Board, Hon. Mike Kusah, expressed joy that SUBEB staff in the 23 LGEAs of Benue State were able to execute meaningful projects under his watch despite economic downturn and sued for sustenance of the efforts.
He expressed optimism that apart from enabling members to access loans, the cooperative society will better the lives of the staff during their service years and prepare a stable ground for their retirement.
Earlier in a welcome address, President of the Cooperative Society, Comrade Danladi Ochefu while presenting his administration’s scorecard for the year 2022 said, the van procured by the Cooperative was to help convey goods or to perform logistics services. According to him, the van will also be used to transport goods or people to the 23 local government areas, adding that the warehouse commissioned as part of their achievements would ensure safety for all the goods and materials procured for the use of its members.
Comrade Ochefu further disclosed that the Cooperative has acquired plots of land from the Ministry of Lands, Survey and Solid Minerals for members at affordable rate.
He also made it known that SMCS provided palliatives measures for members to cushion the effect of nonpayment of salaries by procuring and distributing 3,500 bags of fertilizers at a highly subsidized rate during the last farming season as well as procurement and distribution of 2,500 bags of 25kg of rice to members during the 2022 Easter and Christmas festivities.
The SMCS President announced 41,247, 407 as dividends/interest for the year 2022 to be shared by members which is a 3,983,899 improvement from the 2021 dividends of 37,263,508.
Speaking on the benefits of cooperative society, SUBEB Permanent Member 3, Mr James Ahua, enlightened SMCS members on how to invest their loaned funds wisely to avoid unnecessary loss. He cautioned against taking loans to invest in motorcycle business and food storage business but rather invest in animal husbandry and provision store businesses.
Director of Cooperative at the State ministry of Trade and Investment, Mrs Lucy Ikyase represented by Mrs Comfort Akpete said employees’ preparation for retirement is supposed to start from the day they start receiving wages and so, the SMCS was founded to help the staff prepare for their retirement.
Highlights of the occasion was the presentation of prizes to Ten top contributors of the Cooporative society.
