CALABAR, Cross River State — June 29, 2026
The Cross River State Commissioner for Education, Senator Professor Stephen Odey, has conducted a fact-finding visit to selected public secondary schools in Calabar to verify reports circulating on social media regarding the condition of educational infrastructure.
The inspection, carried out on Monday, took the commissioner to Government Secondary School, Akim, and Pinn Margaret Secondary School, Calabar South, where he met with school administrators and assessed the state of classrooms and other facilities.
At Government Secondary School, Akim, the school's Principal, Mrs. Amayo Edet, clarified issues surrounding viral videos that depicted deteriorating classrooms.
According to her, the two classrooms featured in the videos have been out of use for more than four years and do not reflect the overall condition of the school.
She explained that the school currently has 17 functional classrooms that are in good condition and actively used for teaching and learning, alongside operational administrative facilities.
Mrs. Edet further stated that some of the damage observed within the school resulted from students playing football inside classrooms, which led to broken ceilings, damaged desks, and other facilities. She also attributed the destruction of windows and parts of the school's infrastructure to acts of vandalism by hoodlums.
She maintained that the viral videos failed to present a balanced picture of the school's learning environment, noting that the majority of the classrooms remain conducive for academic activities.
During his visit to Pinn Margaret Secondary School in Calabar South, Professor Odey inspected several deteriorating buildings and acknowledged the poor condition of parts of the school's infrastructure.
He, however, noted that the affected structures had fallen into disrepair long before the current administration of Governor Prince Bassey Edet Otu assumed office.
The commissioner assured the school management that he would personally brief Governor Otu on the situation, expressing confidence in the governor's commitment to improving educational infrastructure across the state.
"Having seen the condition of the school firsthand, I will personally brief His Excellency, Governor Prince Bassey Edet Otu. The Governor is passionate about education and remains committed to improving learning infrastructure across the state," Professor Odey said.
Professor Odey also urged principals and school administrators across the state to maintain regular communication with the Ministry of Education by promptly reporting infrastructural challenges and other pressing needs.
According to him, timely reporting will enable the government to respond more effectively and ensure that interventions are based on verified information.
The inspection forms part of the Ministry of Education's ongoing monitoring exercise aimed at assessing public school facilities, verifying concerns raised by citizens, and ensuring that government decisions are informed by facts.
The Cross River State Government says it remains committed to creating a conducive learning environment through sustained investment in school infrastructure and continuous monitoring of public educational institutions.
The latest inspection underscores the government's efforts to address genuine infrastructural deficits while countering misinformation that may arise from incomplete or misleading representations of conditions in public schools.
Source: Office of the Commissioner for Education, Cross River State.
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