‘S/West integration ‘ll fast-track devt’

By Josephine Oguntoyinbo
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Socio-economic regional integration of the South/West is a key factor for sustainable development that will improve the livelihood of Yoruba race through cooperative sector.

The Special Adviser to Ondo State Governor on Commerce , Industry and Cooperative Services, Mr Tunji Ifabiyi made the assertion at the opening session of the Conference of South/West Directors of Cooperative Services held in Akure, the state capital.

He therefore urged the participants to critically look into the contemporary cooperative challenges in their respective states, cross fertilise ideas and proffer pragmatic and enduring solutions that will guarantee sustainable cooperative development in the South/West.

He believed that the issue of common interest in the region relating to cooperative operation will be extensively deliberated on and common position taken on activities and programmes for cooperative regional integration in the South/West.

The SA admonished them to take cursory look at the menace of overdue loan, mismanagement, misappropriation of fund among others in the south/West, adding that some sections of the cooperative laws are obsolete and need to be ammended in line with the reality on ground.

Ifabiyi highlighted the state government’s interventions for the Agency to effectively deliver cooperative services in the state which include introduction of cooperative revalidation exercise to establish the needed data base for cooperative in the state and annual cooperative audit exercise among others.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary of the Agency, Mr Samuel Lebi who commended the state government for its support towards the hosting of the programme informed that the programme is designed to foster regional integration, thereby improving the cooperative sector for sustainable development in the region.

In his goodwill message, the President of Ondo State cooperative federation Mr Michael Olowoyeye posited that it is pertinent for the participants to inform the government of their states on the resolutions of the conference to further strengthen the sector.

Cross section of participants from Ogun Lagos, Oyo, Ekiti, Osun and Ondo states affirmed that a lot of challenges are facing the sector which they are going to  brainstorm on and proffer solutions to during the conference