Co-operative
society is set-up as a unique organization with a beautiful design of making
life meaningful for all its registered members, and the general public.
The founding
fathers of the co-operative movement intended that this group’s management
should ensure serious and articulated vigorous campaign strategies and programs
to orientate and educate its members towards better mobilization which is to
enhance effective members’ participation for the co-operative activities.
They
also proposed that there should be established among them, apex body which
should fully and effectively represent and regulate all activities of its
registered members, to enable them function effectively within the co-operative
set structures and to be acquainted with
the co-operative principles.
Unfortunately
most co-operatives today has defeated this well designed structure and design
the type they can easily bend to suit their personal interest. This development
has led to failure for the present co-operative society formed.
But
should we allow this trend to continue or amend should be done to it? The
co-operators themselves ignorantly decided to be failure because most
co-operative managers do not know much about the cooperative principles, its
mechanisms and role in economic development. They are not even aware of how
it’s being considered in the world as a Third Force, an alternative and
countervailing power to both big business and big government.
For instance, the management
structure of some co-operative Societies/Unions in Edo State, are not solidly
laid. This is so because;
a.
Most co-operative Society/Union or even
the co-operative Agencies are operating without Board of Directors/Executives
b.
Even some that claim to have one don’t
operate effectively.
c. In
some co-operative group, that claim to have Board of Directors/Executives the
board of executives don’t essentially know what co-operative society is all
about. What guarantee is there that persons, who do not understand a plan, can
interpret?
Notable among
co-operatives in the European countries which has successfully been founded and
operated as consumer/agricultural cooperative that received early popular support were France,
Germany, Belgium, Austria, Italy, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden,
according to (Abell, 2004).
They
succeeded because the Presidents and secretaries of these co-operative groups
were made up of persons who understand the co-operative principles and were
ready to do anything to represent the group at any time. They were also
personnel who were ever ready to put the interest of the movement above their
own personal interest for the benefit of the Society/Union.
Consequently
the backwardness visible in this organization presently is base on the lack of
understanding of the group executives. Whether those elected into power to
manage the organization affairs have been trained to handle co-operative
matters or not is not normally the problems of co-operative members who does
not pass through the formation process. So far the persons are ready or willing
to borrow money for them (the members) to share.
“But according to Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary
General, the setting up of Co-operatives is a reminder to both the local and
international community that it is possible to pursue both economic viability
and social responsibility”
The United Nations’ goals for the
International Year of Co-operatives are to:
§ Increase public
awareness about co-operatives and their contributions to socio-economic
development and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
§ Promote the
formation and growth of co-operatives.
§ Encourage
governments to establish policies, laws and regulations conducive to the
formation, growth and stability of co-operatives.
This too is the vision and determination
of ACFA, “the cooperative watchdog group” operating in Edo State. The ideas
behind their formation are;
i. To penetrate and streamline all activities
of all set up co-operative groups in the
state
ii. To enhance the promotion of co-operative
ethics
iii. To organize
and present lectures/seminars for all members and executives
