Marking 2023 International Day of Cooperatives: LCU chairman congratulates cooperators
LIRA- Lango Cooperative Union [LCU] chairman, Maxwell Ebong Patrick Akora has congratulated cooperators in Uganda and the rest of the world as they mark the 2023 International Day of Cooperatives which happens every first Saturday of July.
The national celebrations for International Day of Cooperatives are taking place in Lira City hosted by LCU alongside Walimu SACCOs Union under the slogan “Cooperatives for sustainable development”.
Below is Hon. Akora’s statement:
Congratulations upon our celebrating the Co-operative Week and the International Day of Co-operatives.
LCU is honoured to host the celebrations for the Co-operative Week and the International Day of Co-operatives. When the General Secretary of the Uganda Co-operative Alliance [UCA] asked me to host the celebrations, I accepted without any reservation despite having no previous experience. I consider this a milestone in restoring the fortunes of Lango Co-operative Union as a long-established co-operative union that was registered in 1956. At its peak in the 1960s to 1980s, Lango Co-operative Union was a robust business enterprise operating nine cotton ginneries spread all over Lango. The Union ginned all the cotton produced in Lango and supplied cotton seeds, fertilizers, tractors and crop finance to primary societies. The ginned cotton was sold in the international market by the defunct Lint Marketing Board. In return, Lango Co-operative Union offered good farm prices, bonuses, bursaries and housing loans to its members.
Following privatisation, liberalisation and the collapse of the price of cotton in the international market, the fortunes of Lango Co-operative Union took a turn for the worse. We lost all the 9 ginneries which were sold to repay loans and to scale down capacity, the last one being Ngetta Ginnery, our headquarters which was sold in 2012. Lango Co-operative Union was left without a home, with no staff and no money but with huge debts which could not be wished away.
We are grateful to Government for promoting co-operatives as a vehicle for socio-economic transformation. Following creation of the Department of Co-operatives under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Co-operatives in the 10th Parliament, Government has compensated co-operatives for war losses that has enabled us clear most of our debts, re-establish an office in Lira, support our primary societies with seeds and inputs and to maintain a minimum presence in all 9 districts in Lango. Today Lango Co-operative Union has over 150 primary societies as its members, it has a functional Board and management and holds an AGM every year. However, we still face challenges of poor harvests, unpredictable markets, lack of crop finance and lack of working capital. We call upon Government to expedite validation of our war claim so that we can be compensated to restore our capacity to previous levels.
Lango Co-operative Union will focus of producing and marketing oils seeds such as simsim, soya and sunflower, grains (maize) and cassava. To this end we hope to put up a mill in Lira to add value to our maize and oil seeds so as to offer better farm prices to our farmers. We intend to promote growing of other high value perennial crops like Haas avocado, macadamia and cashew nuts to boost the income and livelihoods of our farmers. Lango Co-operative Union also plans to establish a SACCO to finance seeds, inputs and the necessary working capital for our members.
As chairman of Lango Cooperative Union, I recognise the assistance we received from different people that enabled us successfully celebrate the Co-operative Week. Special thanks go to Government and to the Minister of State for Co-operatives for providing leadership to the sector. Our Minister has become a champion in furthering appreciation of the co-operative sector including providing leadership, policy guidance and support to ensure the growth of the sector. I recognise the support and guidance given to us by the staff of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Co-operatives and the staff of Uganda Co-operative Alliance in organising these events. These two jointly chaired the National Organising Committee in Kampala. Equally I thank members of the local organising committee in Lira under the leadership of the Vice Chairman of Lango Co-operative Union, Mr. Tony Ogwal.
I appreciate my fellow co-operators from primary societies, area co-operative enterprises, SACCOs and VSLAs for rallying and supporting the cause. Your support and contributions in the co-operative spirit of self-help, mutual help, thrift, peace and friendship cannot be taken for granted. In the same vein, I thank The Uhuru Institute for Social Development [TUI] and other actors in the sector for their passion and commitment to the co-operative cause.
In a special way, I would like to thank all those who gave us material and financial support to hold the different events. Special thanks go to USAID, the Uganda Blood Transfusion Services, Lira City authorities and other partners for assisting in the organisation. We could not have done this without you.
Last but not least, as chairman of LCU, again I want to thank each and every one of you for gracing and participating in the celebrations countrywide. The co-operative family has been engaged in blood donations, cleaning markets and tree planting nationally and other local events in Lira such as a marathon and medical camp to promote the co-operative cause. I urge you all to continue to be goodwill ambassadors for the co-operative movement as a whole.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of Lango Co-operative Union and on my own behalf, I wish you successful celebrations of the Co-operative Week and the 29th UN and the 101st International Day of Cooperatives.
Alluta continua; Note en Teko, Together we can.
Hon. Akora Maxwell Ebong Patrick
MP Maruzi County
Chairman Board of Directors, Lango Co-operative Union
https://thecooperator.news/lango-cooperative-union-to-build-shs1bln-maize-mill-in-kole-district/
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