By Ogar Monday: House Of Assembly Correspondent
A United States of America based development economist, Mr. Princewill Odidi has advised the Cross River State Government through the Cross River State House of Assembly to empower the plethora of unemployed youths in the streets and encourage them to form cooperatives so as to deal with the problem of unemployment bedeviling the State.
Mr. Odidi Wednesday said this while addressing members of the Eight Assembly in plenary while they were on the item ‘Public Explanation’ in their agenda.
He said the idea of sharing “five thousand naira (for constituents) is foolish” and that by helping youths form cooperatives access finance and setup productive ventures, the State can easily lift itself off the waters of recession.
Odidi who christened his presentation “Legislating Under Recession; the Cross River State Model” delved into the of history of recession from the first world war, the second world war and now what he termed as the fourth world war that is fought on the intellectual table.
He said that the world is now ruled by ideas and technology and any nation which fails to take cognizance of that and prepares its citizens for same is headed towards disaster.
Earlier, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon. John Gaul Lebo said the country’s journey towards recession did not start today, that from 2013 government’s lack of actions and initiatives brought forth what we now face.
He said it was on the basis of that and the condition the State is in that the Assembly has created a dialogue platform between intellectuals and members of the House.
Also speaking, the member representing Boki State 2 Constituency, Hon. Hilary Bisong said the State had seen the future and had prepared for the day.
He said it was because the State understands the place of ideas in the new world that institutions like the Tinapa Knowledge City, Institute of Technology and Management (ITM), the Cross River State University of Science and Technology were created.