Governor Otu sparks academic passion in public schools with CRISSAC
The Cross River State government under the dynamic leadership of Governor Bassey Edet Otu has ignited academic passion and excellence in public secondary schools through the first-ever Cross River State Students Academic-thon Challenge (CRISSAC).
The CRISSAC competition, a trailblazing initiative by the Office of the Special Assistant (SA) to the Governor on Students Advocacy and Strategic Planning, Dr. Abasiofiok Akpabio, was organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, the State Planning Commission, and major stakeholders in the education sector.
The groundbreaking Academic Challenge with a total of 296 public secondary schools across all the 18 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state taking part, commenced on May 17, 2025 with each school nominating two representatives, one science student and one art student.
The rigorous quiz competition successfully progressed from the school-level winners to the LGA stage and to the zonal point where six top challengers emerged as finalists and eventually slugged it out in the grand finale held at Metropolitan Hotel, Calabar, on June 7, 2025. The event marked a major milestone in the Otu-led administration’s efforts to prioritize academic excellence and intellectual development in public secondary schools.
The CRISSAC which also featured spoken words performances brought together bright young minds from public secondary schools across the state, and provided a vibrant platform for the Cross River youths to shine and showcase their intellectual and creative prowess.
The overall winner for the quiz competition envisioned as an annual event, Eminence Emmanuel Edem, from Government Secondary School, Adiabo, in Odukpani local government area secured a N1,000,000 scholarship award. The overall best performing school earned a N2000,000 project funding award. The six finalists went home with brand new laptops, while the mentoring teacher of the overall winner was awarded a cash prize of N500,000 for the mentorship given to the student throughout the various rigorous stages of the competition.
Champions from the spoken word segment were equally rewarded. The winner received N50,000, first runner-up got N30,000 and second runner-up received N20,000. All the participating students in the spoken word challenge received N10,000 each. The occasion was also used to honour the 2024 best-performing WAEC student of public secondary schools in Cross River State, Atonyire Joshua Ikwenji, who was presented with a cash prize of N200,000.
Speaking at the event, representative of Governor Bassey Otu, the Special Adviser on General Duties, Barrister Ekpenyong Akiba, applauded the participants remarkable enthusiasm.
Reiterating Otu’s steadfast dedication to establishing the state as a hub of academic distinction, the Special Duties Adviser said: “Education remains a central pillar of our development strategy. We will continue to invest in initiatives that promote learning, critical thinking, and innovation. This is our mandate as a people-first administration.”
According to the legal pundit who is the Chairman of the Cross River State Special Advisers Forum, “The governor is ready to reposition Cross River for greatness. Because these (the students) are the people that the future of Cross River State can be guaranteed through. When you talk about youth leadership, it is mainly the educated youth that can lead other youths. His Excellency has asked me to congratulate all of you.”
The Special Assistant to the Governor on Student Advocacy and Strategic Planning, Dr. Akpabio whose office was the initiator of CRISSAC, stressed that the initiative was designed as “a crucial platform to inspire a new generation of thinkers, leaders, and innovators.”
She further stated that the main goal of the project was “to build a future-ready student population in Cross River State capable of tackling real-world challenges. The program’s objective is to revive academic excellence, redirect our students toward intellectual pursuits, and discover hidden talents. For years, our public schools have nurtured some of the best talents whose potential has often lacked a big stage.”
In his remarks, the Cross River State Commissioner for Education, Associate Professor Stephen Odey, represented by Mr. Cyril Itam, Director of General Duties at the Ministry of Education, said: “This Academic-Thon Challenge reflects our commitment to improving the quality of education in Cross River State. We believe that fostering healthy competition among students will encourage them to push their limits, develop critical thinking skills, and innovate. The government is dedicated to creating an enabling environment where students and teachers alike can thrive and achieve academic excellence.”
Education is one of the areas Governor Otu has given top priority since he assumed office over two years ago as the helmsman of Cross River State. He has demonstrated impactful leadership and shown great commitment towards enhancing educational infrastructure and quality. Under his watch education has been transformed into a powerful tool for opportunity and progress with his numerous monumental achievements in the sector.
The governor has removed financial barriers for thousands of families with his policy implementation of payment of WAEC fees for indigenes of Cross River State in public schools. In 2024, 16,000 indigenous SS3 students for were registered – with 72.1% securing five credits and above. For the 2025 exams, the registration fees of nearly 15,000 were paid by the state government. Thereby easing burdens of the parents and the igniting dreams of the students.
In his two years in office broadcast on May 29, 2025, Apostle Out popularly known as Sweet Prince, had said: “We have digitized our Ministry of Education, modernized administrative processes, and trained teachers to meet today’s challenges. Our partnership with NSSEC empowered 80 English and Mathematics teachers. We facilitated the Federal Government’s takeover of ITM-Ugep—now Federal Polytechnic Ugep—unlocking wider access to tertiary education. At the basic level, our SUBEB projects have touched every corner of this state: 26 new classroom blocks built, 13 rehabilitated, over 9,000 tables and chairs distributed, and boreholes installed to support healthier learning environments. We trained over 700 school heads and officers on digital systems, distributed 700 tablets and 10 laptops, and promoted over 11,000 staff to boost morale.
“In secondary education, over 300 schools have been actively monitored for standards, while more than 4,000 teachers have been promoted. Our Secondary Education Board surpassed its revenue target by 134%—an affirmation of an efficient management and prudent reforms. Our Technical Education Board has revitalized STEM learning, recruiting and training teachers, and engaging our youth in science and innovation. We are laying the foundation for a Cross River State where every child, no matter their background, can thrive.
