By Daspan Danjuma
The Vice-Chancellor of Plateau State University (PLASU), Bokkos, Professor Shedrack Gaya Best, has urged members of the staff multipurpose cooperative society to utilise the newly commissioned secretariat to enhance their economic empowerment.
Professor Best made the call while inaugurating the secretariat located opposite the Old Senate Building on the university campus.
The facility consists of three offices and a warehouse designed to support the cooperative’s business activities.
Best, who was accompanied by members of the university’s management team, commended the executive council of the cooperative society for its visionary leadership and commitment to complementing the university’s efforts in promoting staff welfare.
In his address at the event, the President of the Cooperative Society, Mr. Nansel Sabo, appreciated the Plateau State Government and the university management for prioritising staff welfare through the regular payment of salaries, which he said has significantly contributed to the growth and success of the cooperative.
The commissioning coincided with the Cooperative Society’s Ninth Annual General Meeting (AGM), during which the society declared a total dividend of ₦15,444,085 to be shared among its 705 members.
The society also increased its share capital from ₦100 million to ₦500 million, with a subscription of ₦140,989,000.
Among the major achievements recorded by the society is the acquisition of 32 plots of land at Yakubu Gowon Dam, Shen, in Jos South Local Government Area, as well as the construction of the newly commissioned secretariat.
Engineer Solomon Chikam, who delivered a lecture at the AGM, encouraged members to begin early preparations for retirement.
According to him, “It is better to learn from the experiences of others rather than waiting to learn through personal experience.”
In their separate remarks, the President of the Cooperative Federation of Nigeria and PLASCOFED, Mrs Hannatu Mershak, and the Director of Cooperatives at the Plateau State Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Mrs Elizabeth Moses Bot, commended the achievements of the cooperative’s executive council and urged members to continue supporting the leadership.
Goodwill messages were also delivered by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Associate Professor Keziah Ayuba, and the Registrar of the University, Mr Yakubu Ayuba, among others.