Senator (Associate Professor) Stephen Odey, the Cross River State Commissioner for Education, on Monday convened a crucial strategic meeting with the eighteen (18) Local Government Council Chairmen at the Ministry of Education Headquarters in Calabar. The meeting also had in attendance the Executive Chairman of the Cross River State Universal Basic Education Board (CR-SUBEB), Executive Secretary of the Science and Technical Education Board (STEB), Director of Adult and Non-formal Education, Permanent Secretary of the Secondary Education Board, and other key stakeholders in the education sector.
The meeting was organized to inform the Council Chairmen of their statutory responsibilities in the delivery of Basic Education and to emphasize the importance of aligning local government efforts with CR-SUBEB for effective educational outcomes across the state.
Barrister Francis Oyije, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, welcomed the guests, including the Special Adviser on Education and management staff of the ministry. Senator Odey, in his address, emphasized the importance of collaboration and effective service delivery, noting that Council Chairmen play a critical role in shaping the future of education at the grassroots.
In his remarks, the Commissioner charged the Chairmen to:
•Provide necessary support to Local Government Education Secretaries.
•Ensure the prompt and regular payment of primary school teachers’ salaries, which he noted is a statutory obligation of the local councils.
•Encourage parents to register their children for state and national examinations within the stipulated timelines.
•Prepare for the forthcoming transition of JSS1–3 from the Secondary Education Board to SUBEB, in line with the nine-year basic education structure, which would place more responsibility on SUBEB and the councils.
•Support the revival of adult and non-formal education across the LGAs as a core component of Basic Education.
Senator Odey also highlighted some of the Ministry’s recent achievements, including the digitalization of examination result access for Primary Six, JSS3 BECE, and SS2 Mock examinations. He reaffirmed Governor Bassey Edet Otu’s commitment to educational transformation, citing the establishment of the University of Education and Entrepreneurship in Akamkpa and the College of Agriculture as proof of the administration’s people-centered policies.
During the interactive session, Council Chairmen raised key concerns such as the recruitment of primary school teachers, regularization of ad hoc staff, payroll challenges, and the need for teacher training. In response, they pledged their commitment to working in synergy with CR-SUBEB and the Ministry of Education to ensure sustainable progress in the education sector at the grassroots.
The meeting ended on a high note, with all parties agreeing on actionable steps to strengthen the foundation of education in Cross River State.
