DIPLOMAN TIMES

The Cross River State Government has issued operational mandates for private schools, initiated stakeholder dialogue over Calabar land claims, and conducted multi-sectoral ethics and administrative training across state institutions.

In a comprehensive regulatory directive issued in Calabar, Education Commissioner Senator Professor Stephen Odey ordered all private, faith-based, and mission schools to resume academic activities strictly on September 14, 2026. The ministry mandated full compliance with approved NERDC curricula, enforced a mandatory 2:00 p.m. daily closing time, and required all student enrollments to be integrated into the state's Student Identification Number (SIN) portal under penalty of immediate operational license revocation.

Addressing land administration and urban expansion, Commissioner for Lands Dr. Erasmus Ekpang convened a mediation session with traditional leaders and representatives of the Ikpai Ohom Qua community. The dialogue focused on resolving historical land acquisition claims, compensation modalities, and boundary demarcation disputes along the Goodluck Jonathan Bypass in Calabar, with the state proposing a multi-stakeholder resolution framework to balance community rights with public infrastructure development.

Concurrently, the management of the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS) concluded a two-day anti-corruption and institutional ethics workshop in collaboration with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). Vice-Chancellor Prof. Francisca Bassey urged academic and administrative staff to enforce procedural discipline, eliminate academic extortion and student victimization, and accelerate the digital migration of academic transcripts.

In the health sector, Permanent Secretary Dr. Jonah Bassey led a specialized retraining program for the State Health Research Ethics Committee. Organized in partnership with University of Calabar bioethicists and the National Health Research Ethics Committee, the capacity-building exercise focused on strengthening human subject protection, clinical trial protocol reviews, and ethical compliance standards across public and private research facilities.

Complementing public sector reforms, the Cross River State Carnival Commission concluded an internal administrative training program covering civil service rules, state financial regulations, and digital office tools. The administration reaffirmed that enforcing institutional compliance in education, land administration, health, and public service operational frameworks remains fundamental to advancing Governor Bassey Otu’s 'People First' governance agenda.