12 June 2020
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| Rt. Hon. Peter Odey addressing the press immediately after plenary in Calabar |
The Leader of the 9th Cross River State House of Assembly (CRSHA) has disclosed how the industrialisation drive of the Cross River State Government (CRSG) can outlive 2023 NEGROIDHAVEN can say.
Rt. Hon. Peter Odey who represents Ogoja State Constituency at the 9th CRSHA and doubles as the Leader of the state legislature said that the privatisation of the sundry industries constructed by the State Government led by Prof. Ben Ayade will ensure the sustenance of the industries beyond the tenure of the incumbent governor.
While advocating for privatisation, Odey warned against privatising these industries to public officers, according to him, the private sector should man these infrastructures.
Odey’s words, ‘On the floor of this House, I moved that motion asking Cross River State Government (CRSG) to immediately set up a Privatisation Council. And I am happy that that has been done today.
‘We charge this Council to go out, take a stock of the industries that have been set up by the state government. There are about one industry in each local government area, let us see these industries beyond 2023. Let us see these industries grow.
‘They shouldn’t sell these industries to themselves. If they are going to even privatise them, they should bring in private hands. I believe that businessmen should run business. Government should take care of healthcare, roads, housing and other things. But businesses should be run by businessmen.
‘They should bring in the private sector to run this industries, by so doing it will outlive 2023. It will employ Cross Riverians. The industries are here now in our State and nobody will take them away.
‘We are witnesses to the fact that privatisation has worked. Transcorp Hotels in Calabar is an example of that. Calcemco is an example of that. You know that was privatised to Unicem then Lafarge. As we speak, it is the biggest production factory in the South South that are producing cement. But under Calcemco, they couldn’t produce anything.’
Mr Monday Odo was confirmed as Chairman of the privatisation council by the state House of Assembly.
While appraising the 9th CRSHA, Odey said he would rate the state legislature above average given the number of bills, motions, etc advanced by the House within the last one year. However, he called for improvement.
