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A change of baton at the Port Harcourt Pathfinder Cooperative Investment and Credit Society Limited (PPCICSL) has seen erstwhile president, Comrade Ikechukwu Wigodo, hand over to his successor, Mr. Kelechi Nwaucha.
The event, which took place on Ikwerre Road, Port Harcourt, Thursday, also saw the election of Mr. Jude Nzennaya as secretary, Mrs. Lilian Peters (financial secretary) and Mr Bikume Charles (treasurer).
Erstwhile president, Comrade Ikechukwu Wigodo, represented by his vice, Ukandi Akpekwu Christopher Imbufe, gave a brief history of the Port Harcourt Pathfinder Cooperative Investment and Credit Society, while describing cooperatives all over the world as the largest employer of labour.
Noting the surging unemployment and poverty figures in the country, Wigodo stressed the need for government and individuals in Nigeria to see the cooperative movement as “an avenue for positively impacting the socio-economic lives of others.
“Go to China, the economic boom there can to a large extent be attribute to the growth and sustenance of the cooperative movement,” he said.
New president of the Port Harcourt Pathfinder Cooperative Investment and Credit Society, Mr. Kelechi Nwaucha, urged members to adopt a sense of commitment and drive that will enable the coop society attain desired growth, as well as expand the economic capacity of citizens.
He said government alone cannot transform the economy of the state and country for the better, noting that such transformation “requires the contributions of every one of us in our own way, while adding that luckily, cooperatives offer us the opportunity to improve our lives and secure a better future for those dependent on us.
Nwaucha called on governments at all levels to intensify efforts at promoting and building the economic viability of small and medium scale companies (SMEs) and cooperatives, while pointing out the need for government to boost the capacity of the state micro-finance agency to ensure the provision of micro-credits to SMEs and cooperatives.
“SMEs, in all climes, form the backbone for creating jobs and developing the overall economy of any nation. Nigeria cannot afford to disregard the development of this sector of its economy if it must take its place as an economic powerhouse in the West African region.
