The Bole Community Cooperative Credit Union (BOCCCU) on 9th December 2023, commissioned the Tuna branch’s new edifice for services in the Sawla-Tuna- Kalba district of the Savannah region.
In a welcome address, the Board Chairman of the BOCCCU, Mr Natomah Adams Dramani said the Bole Community Co-operative credit union was established in the year 2000 after which its ownership was transferred from the Bole catholic workers to the community which gained its affiliation status in 2002 as a community credit union. The community credit union operates within Bole, Sawla, Tuna, Kalba as well as the Savannah regional Capital-Damongo and has a total of 3 branches situated at Tinga, Tuna, and Damongo where the credit union currently has a total membership of 6,149 and out of this number, Tuna branch has a membership population of 1,180, made up of 295 women, 635 men, and 250 groups & organizations.
He said BOCCCU has a total of 53 employees and out of this number, the employees employed and stationed in Tuna for the Tuna Branch are 11.
Mr Natomah further said; “In the year 2020/2021, there was a new board of directors that took over office from their predecessors and as earlier planned and taught through by our predecessors, the new board as part of promises made during one of the Annual general meetings (AGM), promised to work hard to provide Tuna and its environs with a befitting office. Today it is clear we have been able to achieve this with the help of God”.
He added that that the BOCCCU is of good standing in Ghana and the upper west region whose chapter is BOCCCU operating Under is 2nd in ranking in terms of assets size in the chapter and can boast of having performed so well over the years and continues to perform to the extent that the Chapter chairman of the upper west chapter is chosen from the Bole community credit union.
Mr Natomah said the Bole Community Cooperative Credit Union in the midst of all the economic challenges that bedeviled the state, especially due to the banking sector clean up was able to sail through these difficulties and no member suffered any financial loss.
He said the BOCCCU will continue to record growing net surpluses over the years and continue to increase its assets size year by year as well as its membership growth.
According to him by the Ghana Cooperative Credit Unions Association (CUA) standards, BOCCCU in the 2022 financial year obtained a viability (Grade A) status in its ranking.
Mr Natomah said the succusses of BOCCCU, had been made possible because of the collective efforts of all in the various branches and it is based on this that they implore the chief, elders, and opinion leaders of Tuna to take the operations of this branch as their own private individual business and hence have a special interest in its operations.
He added that that it is important to note that apart from the financial benefits that members stand to gain, the community can benefit and has even benefited from employment opportunities for the young, qualified people in the community and can also benefit from certain social corporate responsibility activities that can be carried out by the credit union.
He urged the Chiefs, Elders, Opinion leaders, and the entire community and all the environs of Tuna to take up the responsibility of owning the credit union and mentioned loan repayment default/delinquency by some members, across all BOCCCU branches as a major challenge of the association.
Mr Natomah Adams Dramani said that he is grateful for the attendance of the Tunawura and his sub-chiefs, the traditional leaders, Imams, the clergy, the BOCCCU staff, customers and the community members.
He solicited for a minute silence for the former and late Mandariwura, Garba, Mumuni Isaac Dramani for his enormous contribution to the establishment of the BOCCCU new edifice.
The Chief of Tuna, Tunawura Mahama Sarfo Amantana thanked the board of directors of the BOCCCU for their persistent changing of lives through their services and narrated how he benefited from the association.
He urged members to put more seriousness into their savings and those who do not have accounts should do so as it will help them to invest profitably.
Source: nkilgifmonline.com
