An Open Letter To His Excellency The Governor Of Plateau State On The Future And Survival Of Cooperative Societies In The Local Government Service. By Aminchi Joshua Pro

AN OPEN LETTER TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR OF PLATEAU STATE ON THE FUTURE AND SURVIVAL OF COOPERATIVE SOCIETIES IN THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT SERVICE.

Your Excellency 

The Governor of Plateau State.

Sir,

It has become very expedient to reach you via this medium and my apologies should this be offensive.

I recount the horrifying experience some of us went through during the days of Zero Allocation as local Government employees back then and how arreas of salary ranging from four to Nineteen months is some cases were accumulated before the Paris Club exit funds salvaged the situation and these backlogs were eventually cleared.

I had to recount the past so as to buttress my intent. Recently a circular was issued after it got ratification from Plateau State Executive Council directing for the return of the payment of local Government employees salary by respective local Government Councils.

This decision must have been done with the best of intentions and I pray all the loopholes towards it's effective implementation must have been plugged.

My concern sir, is about the beauty of the central payment hitherto coordinated by the Plateau State Local Government Service Commission.

This noble gesture birthed Multi-purpose Cooperative Societies for NULGE, MEDICAL AND HEALTH WORKERS UNION AND NURSES UNION.

The hatching of the idea was solly  hinged on the central payment by the Local Government Service Commission whose efficient and effective services made coordination of the cooperative Societies easy.

The significance of the cooperative Societies which has metamorphosed into viable platform of savings for employees from their miga salary also enables them access to low interest loans, food stuff and household needs where in turn the profits are shared as dividends among members.

The NULGE  Cooperative Society as an example which took off in September 2016 today has a membership strength of over two thousand with many more yearning to join. Its financial base excluding assets is  over One hundred million Naira. It has an office on the ground floor of Kalwa Shopping Complex with staff also employed by the Society.

I took long explaining the gains of the establishment of these Cooperative Societies so as to paint a vivid picture of it's value. Most importantly too Your Excellency, recently your administration explored a new dimension towards addressing the backlog of unpaid gratuities and pension arreas of retired civil in the State Public Service through the issuance of promissory notes.

This drive which I must applaud is a rare kind in the history of Plateau State and posterity would reckon it's value.

While our colleagues who also retired from the Local Government service would love to be part of this humane gesture, the Cooperative Society savings have been a viable Plan B as it affords cooperators instant access to their savings upon retirement from service.

Your Excellency, the long and short of my reason for writing you this letter is because there is fear in the potential of these Cooperative Societies could fizzle out once there is no centralization of salary.

There was a time an attempts to sustain a Cooperative Society in one of the LGAs failed because the authorities then would pay Net Salary rather than Gross because there was paucity of funds and even getting Contributors savings was an uphill task.

I wish to plead with Mr. Governor to please kindly reconsider the decentralization of Salary to enable for local Government employees carry on with their savings towards rainy days.

This letter is by no means an attempt to undermine your decision rather the outlined advantages.

Local Government employees would  immensely remain in debt if workable modalities are fashioned out for the continuation and survival of Cooperative Societies in the local Government system.

God bless Your Excellency.

God bless Plateau State.

Thank you.

Aminchi K Joshua

Public Relations Officer

Local Government Multipurpose Cooperative Society

(LOGOMCOS)