VALCO EMPLOYEES HOUSING COOP GET 20 MORE HOUSES (PAGE 31)

The VALCO Employees Housing Co-operative Society Limited (VEHOCS) has completed and handed over 10 blocks of 20 houses to its members bringing to 201 the number of beneficiaries since the society started operating in 1992.
Each of the workers, most of whom are unemployed as a result of layoffs, is entitled to a two-bedroom self-contained unit with facilities.
At the inauguration of the houses, the acting Registrar of Co-operative Societies, Mr Felix Ampomah Kusi, said co-operative development was an important and integral part of the national multi-sectoral approach to fight against poverty.
He explained that the poor could be mobilised in their small way to contribute financially to achieve meaningful results to better their lot.
Mr Kusi commended members of VEHOCS for working hard to acquire the houses.
This, he noted, was achieved through determination, dedication and concerted effort, as well as through the support of stakeholders.
Mr Kusi urged other groups of people to take advantage of the co-operatives to reduce poverty, stating that there were other areas such as agriculture, finance, industry and service co-operatives which could be taken advantage of.
The Deputy Managing Director of VALCO, Mr George Dodd, commended the workers for coming together to make such huge investments to accommodate their members.
He said management would not relent in its efforts to give support to the workers when the need arose and urged them to ensure that the investment was put to good use.
The President of VEHOCS, Mr Jerry Aikins, said the inauguration of the 20 houses represented the completion of the first phase of the housing project initiated by VEHOCS.
He urged other VALCO workers who were either laid off or still in employment to join the society to benefit from the scheme, adding that those who had benefited must also ensure that they paid up to enable the society to provide more houses for other members.
Mr Aikins noted that the society had a total of 252 members and had earlier housed 181 of them and therefore with the allocation of the 20 units the total number of beneficiaries had come to 201.
He expressed the gratitude of members to Nene Martey Kpone-Gbugbla and elders of Mataheko-Afienya for releasing the land and promised to ensure that it was used for the purpose for which it was allocated.
Mr Aikins announced that the society was ready to start the next phase of the project immediately and re-echoed to members to make do with their commitments.
He appealed to the Dangme West District Assembly to aid the beneficiaries to put the road network in good shape to encourage the people to take settlement as early as possible.
The District Co-ordinating Director of Dangme West, Mr Emmanuel Nartey, commended the workers for the effort and called on other workers to emulate the example.
He appealed to the beneficiaries to pay their property rates promptly to enable the assembly to provide the needed facilities in the area.
Nene Martey Kpone-Gbugbla, assisted by the Very Reverend Fr Andrew Campbell, cut the tape to inaugurate the houses.