Communities hosting the Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Ikot Osurua, in Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area, have appealed to Governor Umo Eno to ensure fairness and equity in the appointment of the institution’s next rector.
The appeal follows renewed agitation from residents of the host communities, who insist that the next rector should come from the Annang ethnic group. The tenure of the current rector, Dr. Moses Umobong, ends in December 2025.
Addressing journalists on Thursday in Ikot Osurua, the youth leader of the host communities, Mr. Ekikere Iko, said the communities were concerned about what they described as an emerging imbalance in the school’s leadership structure.
He explained that since the polytechnic’s establishment in 1991, the rectorship had alternated between the Ibibio and Annang ethnic groups to promote inclusiveness and ethnic balance.
“For the first time, both the current rector and the deputy rector are from the Ibibio extraction, which departs from the long-standing practice of inclusiveness,” Iko said.
He also criticized the recent removal of the Deputy Rector of Annang origin, alleging that the decision violated the polytechnic’s establishment law and the guidelines of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).
According to him, the Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District has been underrepresented in the leadership of state-owned tertiary institutions, noting that the heads of the Akwa Ibom State University and the College of Education are both from the Uyo Senatorial District.
While pledging the continued support of the host communities for Governor Eno’s administration and his ARISE Agenda, Iko urged the governor to appoint a qualified Annang indigene as the next rector in the interest of fairness and unity.
He also reaffirmed the communities’ backing for Eno’s potential second-term bid in 2027 and commended Senate President Godswill Akpabio for his leadership at the national level.
In September, residents of Ikot Osurua had staged a protest, barricading the polytechnic’s main gate over the appointment of a non-indigene as Community Liaison Officer. The protesters also called for the removal of Dr. Umobong, accusing him of reducing part-time staff salaries from ₦50,000 to ₦30,000.
