By Kelvin Obambon
The Cross River Government has been called upon to tackle security, economic and environmental issues affecting the state, leveraging on the 2024 budget.
The call was made in Calabar on Sunday at the anniversary town hall meeting organized by the Cross River South Coalition and The Calabar Declaration.
Participants at the town hall meeting agreed that while the 2024 budget was appropriate, the government needs the support of the people to implement it in a way such that it will address insecurity, youth unemployment and thus explore opportunities that abound in the clean and green environment.
Advancing their arguments side by side with the theme of the town hall meeting, which is, “Aligning the Cross River South Agenda with the Key Themes of the 2024 State Budget for Rapid Economic Recovery and Growth”, the participants in a series of panel discussion harped on the need to empower Cross River youths with tangible skills that will enable them to take up opportunities as they come.
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They regretted instances where Cross River indigenes missed out on job placement opportunities in corporate organizations and private companies owing to the fact that they lack the requisite skills to take up specific jobs, using Lafarge as an example.
Panelists also made case for continuity in government policies and programmes, leading to call for the resuscitation of the state’s valuable assets such as Tinapa, the Obudu Ranch Resort, among others.
They equally said that security is crucial to every aspect of social, political and economic life, hence government should at all times prioritize the security of the state for businesses and investments to thrive.
Earlier in his address, Sen. Bassey Ewa Henshaw, Chairman of Cross River South Coalition, congratulated the state governor, Prince Bassey Otu on his first 100 days in office and his victory at the Court of Appeal, while pleading with all aggrieved parties to sheath their sword and join hands with the governor to revive the state.
He noted that “The task ahead is enormous. The decision of the Court of Appeal is the affirmation of the will of the people of Cross River State as expressed at the election of March 18, 2023.
“This decision of the people is anchored on the Calabar Declaration which has its own root in the Calabar-Ogoja Accord of 1980. The Accord was an expression of the belief of our leaders of that time in fairness, equity and the peaceful coexistence of all the peoples of Cross River State.
“The Calabar Declaration sets out in its framework for the future relationship between the three senatorial districts of the state, vis-a-vis the principles of rotation for the office of governor among those senatorial districts.”
Also, the Chairman of the occasion, Bishop Joseph Bassey, called on the government to embark on strategic diplomacy, adding that there ought to be robust partnership between the government and the private sector for sustainable economic growth. This, he said, will reduce the dependence on government, as it is the case in most of the developed countries of the world, where the private sector plays key role in job creation.
On his part, Arc. Bassey Ndem, said Cross River Government can explore the enormous opportunities in the clean and green environment. According to him, a clean and green state is one in which the philosophy of clean and green can be applied to every aspect of our life.
“The latest scheme that we must exploit is the so-called climate change carbon credit and carbon sequestration. This will earn those who key into it trillions of dollars and we should not be left behind,” he said.
Meanwhile, in an interview session with journalists, Amb. Nkoyo Toyo, Spokesperson of the Cross River South Coalition, said part of the work of the Coalition is to influence government’s policy, and that the entry point of such influence begins with the budget.
She said the southern part of the state is faced with the problem of youth unemployment, which could be an enabler of insecurity as manifested in kidnapping, theft and other sundry crimes. She added that the state cannot push its tourism agenda successfully without first of all addressing the security challenge.
The former lawmaker said it is the expectation of the people that the 2024 budget would be able to address specific economic, environmental and security issues bedeviling the state. She said the town hall meeting is a medium through which the people’s thoughts and opinions are captured and presented to the government.
