By DOH JAMES SONKEY
Youth Parliamentarians have pleaded with Parliament and the Government to help solve the socio-political crisis in the North West and South West regions of the country so as to help their fellow youths who escaped their homes and took up refuge in bushes to return home and participate in national life.
The request was voiced out last February 9, 2018 at the National Assembly by a Youth Parliamentarian from Lebialem Division in the South West Region during an audience granted the Bureau of the Youth Parliamentarians by Senior Vice President of the National Assembly, Hon Hilarion Etong within the sidelines of the 2nd edition of Youths Parliament organized at the Ngoa Ekelle hemicycle by the Parliamentary Network for the Promotion of Policies and Actions for Youths and Children dubbed Esperance Jeunesse headed by CPDM MP, Hon Gaston Komba in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Civic Education represented at the occasion by Minister Mounouna Foutsou.
In a very emotional manner, the Lebialem Youth MP complained to Hon Hilarion Etong that “my greatest worry is that I do not know if youths in our area will even be able to follow up what we are doing here for them in Parliament because most of them have escaped to the bushes seeking for refuge due to the escalating Anglophone crisis. Please Sir, do something to solve the crisis. Thank you.”
Speaking at a plenary sitting dedicated to question and answer session between Youth Parliamentarians and members of Government, the National Coordinator of Esperance Jeunesse, Hon Gaston Komba who is the initiator of Youth Parliament stressed that it is important to listen to youths and to dialogue with them. He stated that “Our youths are not perfect like us also.”
On his part, Youth Affairs and Civic Education Minister, Mounouna Foutsou advised youths to make responsible choices and to be of exemplary behaviours.
The 2nd edition of Youth Parliament that focused on the promotion of a digital economy was made up of 56 girls and 124 boys from all the 58 Divisions of the country.