The Cross River State House of Assembly Committee on Education has stepped in to resolve the crisis within the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) in the state. The committee has emphasized the importance of a unified association and expressed its disapproval of the ongoing factional disputes.
At a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Assembly’s mini-auditorium, the committee prioritized ensuring that no student misses the opportunity to sit for the West African Examination Council (WAEC) due to the crisis. To this end, the state Ministry of Education has been directed to allow private schools to register their students for WAEC without clearance from any NAPPS faction.
The lawmakers also announced plans to reconvene within two weeks for another stakeholders’ meeting aimed at finding a lasting solution. In the meantime, the warring factions have been urged to maintain peace and avoid further conflicts.
Honorable Martins Achadu, who led the committee, called on the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education to ensure that all private schools are permitted to register their students for WAEC without insisting on the NAPPS registration fee. This temporary measure is intended to prevent disruptions in the education sector.
Meanwhile, the two factional leaders of NAPPS, Godwin Okwu and Pastor Abraham Osok, have expressed differing opinions. Okwu criticized the previous leadership of NAPPS, accusing them of mismanaging the association and suggesting that the Ministry of Education should directly collect levies from school proprietors. Osok, however, maintained his position as the legitimate NAPPS president in the state, despite the ongoing disagreements.
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