A’Ibom Govt Announces Suspension Of All NAAKISS Activities

By Solomon Umanah
UYO
Moved by the litany of complaints received from the National Association of Akwa Ibom State Students (NAAKISS), the state government has directed immediate suspension of all activities of the body till further notice.
The commissioner for education, Mrs Idongesit Etiebet, who disclosed this, recently, during a meeting with members of the association, which took place at the Conference Room of the Ministry, said based on several complaints received from NAAKISS by the state government, it was imperative that all activities of the association, including unauthorised posts and advertisements on social media platforms be suspended until a logical conclusion was reached.
Etiebet, who spoke through the permanent secretary in the ministry, Mrs. Stella Etukakpan, called for a truce between the aggrieved parties, stressing that, “no good result can be achieved in the place of conflict.”
The education boss, who lauded Governor Umo Eno for placing high premium on the educational advancement of the state as enshrined in the ARISE Agenda of his administration, maintained that the state government was working tirelessly to ensure that Akwa Ibom students get the best through payment of bursaries, award of scholarships, grants, institution of Education Trust Fund for Persons Living With Disabilities (PLWDs), exposure to international education exchange programme, as well as provision of basic amenities and infrastructure in the various academic institutions across the state, pointing out that, “such level of progress is  not expected to be thwarted by infightings that can be handled amicably.”
  Etiebet advised the students’ body to avoid all forms of distractions and work towards proper coordination of the welfare and developmental interests of Akwa Ibom students which, she noted, was the essence of establishing the body.
Speaking on behalf of past NAAKISS executives and other stakeholders at the meeting, a former president of NAAKISS, Elder Isaac Michael, expressed concern over the squabble witnessed in the association and called for timely conduct of substantive election, which he observed, “is long overdue,” identifying non-conduct of election as the primary cause of the current contention within the association.