The Joint Campus Council of the National Association of Nigerian Students in Cross River State has announced a peaceful sit-in at the state Ministry of Education in Calabar on Monday over the Education Commissioner’s prolonged failure to engage student leaders.
According to a press statement signed by NANS JCC Chairman Comrade Victor Antigha Asuquo and dated 3 October 2026, the protest will begin at 9:00 a.m. Students will demand that the commissioner receive their leadership and address outstanding resolutions and concerns affecting their welfare, safety and educational experience.
The statement noted that since the commissioner assumed office in 2023, there have been fewer than a dozen engagements with student union leaders, with only one of any significant consequence in 2026. Repeated letters from the JCC on key student issues have received no formal response.
“We find this unacceptable,” the statement said. Students plan to remain at the ministry until they are received or until the close of official working hours. If no meeting holds on Monday, the sit-in will continue on subsequent working days until a formal engagement is secured.
The action, described as peaceful, orderly and lawful, is open to students across the state. The JCC stressed that students are not seeking special treatment but simply demand to be heard.
The ministry, it added, exists to advance the interests of education and those who depend on it, giving students a legitimate expectation of access and response from its leadership.
