Akwa Ibom as recorded rising performance by candidates who took the West African Senior School Certificate Examination from 2019 to 2021.

This was part of the reports presented to the Akwa Ibom State Executive Council, which held yesterday, Thursday, December 30, at Government House, Uyo.

Briefing reporters at the end of the Council Meeting, chaired by Governor Udom Emmanuel, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Comrade Ini Ememobong, mentioned that in her presentation, the Commissioner for Education, Mrs Idongesit Etiebet said the percentage of candidates who passed with credits in 5 subjects or more, including -English Language and Mathematics rose from 58.55 to 68.05 and 78.90, for 2019, 2020 and 2021, respectively.

Adding that the report showed the total number of those who took the examination in the years under review as 54,171, 52,207 and 51,771, Comrade Ememobong, said although, the council commended the Education Commissioner for the rising performance by the candidates, “she was charged to improve the performance in future examinations.”

The Council meeting, according to the Information Commissioner, also featured a COVID-19 status update by the Commissioner for Health, Prof Augustine Umoh, who advised that enlightenment and enforcement of the COVID Protocol be increased, to curtail the spread of the virus.

“He also presented a report on the enforcement of standards for Medical Laboratory Services in the state. He reported that a task force is at work and has apprehended defaulters and closing their facilities.” Ememobong added.

On the status update presented by the Managing Director of the Akwa Ibom Property and Investments Company, Barr Patrick Udomfang, the Information Boss said, APICO was charged “to take necessary steps to make the company run profitably. EXCO directed that effective next year, the company will have to generate resources to handle their liabilities.”

Ememobong also mentioned that while presenting his report on the Power for all target of the government, the Commissioner for Power and Petroleum Development, Dr John Etim said “the state had attained 92 per cent coverage of all the gazetted villages, in addition to the network optimisation gains.”

The Information Commissioner reported that the Council “frowned at the current spate of street trading within the metropolis, even on trunk A roads.”

He mentioned that the attendant risks and the ongoing defacing of the city caused by this menace were of concern, resulting in EXCO directives that the Ministries of Environment & Solid Minerals and Transportation, Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency and Security Agencies should take immediate steps to curb the menace.