Co-operative Unions urged to exhibit High standard of Accountability
President Evans Atta Mills has called on leaders of Co-operative Unions to exhibit a high standard of accountability to their members. This is to raise allegations of misappropriation of funds and the suspicion and the mistrust that has been associated with co-operative movements.
The President made the call in a speech read on his behalf at a ceremony in Accra to mark the 87th International Co-operative and the 15th UN Co-operative day. President Mills said in the past the mode of operation of some Co-operative societies have not been impressive. For instance some Co-operatives have been formed simply as a means of extorting money from their members. The Leaders take advantage of the low educational level of their members and exploit their ignorance.
President Mills therefore stressed the need for integrated Co-operative activity aimed at achieving increased production and high efficiency.
President Mills urged members of the Co-operative Unions to use the celebration of International Co-operative day to rededicate themselves and resolve to contribute more meaningfully to the economic development of Ghana.
The President of the Ghana Co-operative Council, Miss Aba Smith said even though the Co-operatives have played a significant role in the life of people in the informal sector it is still face with challenges.
One of the major challenges she said is access to credit. She explained that Co-operatives are unable to compete with commercial enterprises for credit in the open market because of the prevailing conditions under which they work; she therefore called on Government to underline in its policies the role Co-operatives are expected to play in national development.