AWEIL – Officials in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State have elected a new leadership body to steer the state’s Cooperative Union, marking a significant step toward strengthening trade and agricultural productivity.
The election, held in Aweil Town, follows months of preparations by a steering committee tasked with organizing the establishment of the seven-member body.
Speaking during the event, the Minister of Rural Development and Cooperatives, Ayak Zechakaria, said the formation of the new leadership would help address past challenges that hindered the union’s effectiveness.
“This new body will support us in the ministry to strategize on how to boost food production in the state and engage traders to help lower market prices, especially for foodstuffs,” Ayak said.
She added that the Cooperative Union would play a key role in strengthening collaboration between traders and farmers to enhance productivity and reduce poverty through improved resilience and food diversification.
“The new team will also work with county authorities to establish similar cooperative bodies, ensuring coordination between farmers and traders to ease the economic hardships faced by local communities,” she explained.
According to Minister Ayak, the newly elected body will be chaired by William Wol Wieu, with Athian Athian, the former Minister of Finance in the defunct Aweil East State, serving as deputy chairperson.
The Cooperative Union serves as a central organization that supports and organizes local cooperatives, promotes cooperative principles, and helps develop and expand cooperative activities across the state.
In his acceptance remarks, William Wol Wieu thanked the electorate for their confidence and pledged to work closely with all partners to advance the union’s objectives.
“This is a great responsibility to help move our state forward. Even if we currently lack a fully functional office, we will collaborate with the Ministry of Rural Development and Cooperatives to ensure our services are accessible to everyone,” Wol said.
He further noted that the union will partner with both public and private institutions, including banks, to facilitate access to credit for registered members across the state.
