A PRESENTATION BY THE CENTER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS & ACCOUNTABILITY NETWORK (CHRAN) AT THE PUBLIC HEARING ON “A BILL FOR A LAW TO ESTABLISH AKWA IBOM STATE SCHOOL OF CULINARY STUDIES/HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT AND A BOARD AND OTHER MATTERS CONNECTED THERETO” HELD AT THE OLD CHAPEL, AKWA IBOM STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY, UYO ON WEDNESDAY, 2ND JULY, 2025.
i) Introduction:
By a letter dated 26th June, 2025 with Reference number: AKHA/S/72/VOL.II/283 signed by Etim A. Okon for Chairman, House Committee on Education, the Center for Human Rights & Accountability Network (CHRAN), was invited by the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly to this Public Hearing. Annexed to the invitation letter was a copy of the Bill. The Invitation letter stated that the Public Hearing is billed to hold on Wednesday, July 2, 2025. On receipt of the invitation letter, the CHRAN appraised the Bill. This presentation represents the position of the CHRAN on the Bill.
ii) An Overview of the Bill:
The Bill is sponsored by Hon. Itorobong Etim, PhD., Member representing Uruan State Constituency, and Co-sponsored by 13 Honourable Members, including the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. KufreAbasi Edidem. The Bill has 47 Sections and seeks to enact a Law to establish the Akwa Ibom State School of Culinary Studies and Hospitality Management and a Governing Board to manage and direct the activities of the school and register and regulate culinary institutions in Akwa Ibom State. The Sections of the Bill are thematically set out.
iii) CHRAN’s Inputs:
- The long title of the Bill should be modified so as to replace SCHOOL with COLLEGE. This modification should affect provisions of the Bill where SCHOOL is mentioned. This is to forestall the need for a future amendment of the Law, which this Bill will become, to raise the status of the School.
- Section 1(3) of the Bill should be modified to insert Higher National Diploma (HND).
- The first word in line three of Section 9(1) of the Bill should be rendered in full as LABORATORY instead of the word “Lab”.
- Section 9 of the Bill should be modified to state the required academic qualification for appointment as Rector, which should not be less than a Doctoral Degree.
- Letter “s” should be deleted from the word “members” in line 2 of Section 17 of the Bill.
- The point in the state capital from whence 4 kilometres shall be measured to establish the location of the School should be clearly stated in Section 19 of the Bill. This is as opposed to the vague “The School shall be sited at a location not more than 4 kilometres from the state capital.”
- Section 20 of the Bill should be modified to insert Higher National Diploma (HND).
- Section 22 of the Bill should be modified to insert Higher National Diploma (HND).
- Letter “s” should be deleted from the word “owns” in line 2 of Section 33 of the Bill.
- Sections 6, 40, 41, 42, and 43 of this Bill should be deleted. The role of the Governing Board should be limited to the Culinary School sought to be established by the Bill. The CHRAN is opposed to the Governing Board of the Culinary School becoming a Task Force or a regulator for purposes other than the management and administration of the Culinary School. The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly may wish to enact a law for the establishment of an Agency to carry out the functions stated in Sections 6, 40, 41, 42 and 43 of the Bill.
- The word “to” should be inserted between the words “authorized” and “be” in line 2 of Section 45 of the Bill.
- The word “served” should replace the word “saved” in line 4 of Section 45 of the Bill.
- We suggest that the words “Higher National Diploma (HND)” should be inserted in Section 46 of the Bill.
iv) Conclusion:
The Center appreciates and commends the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly for taking concrete legislative steps towards establishing a school to harness talents in the State to utilize the huge investment by the State government in the Hospitality and Tourism subsector of the State economy.
The CHRAN expresses doubt that this Bill will see the light of day having noticed that His Excellency, Governor Umo Eno, had withheld assent to other lofty Bills passed by this State House of Assembly and the House of Assembly had not invoked Section 100(5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) to override the Governor’s veto to those Bills, which include a Bill seeking to upgrade the Akwa Ibom State College of Education, Afaha Nsit to the Akwa Ibom State University of Education, Afaha Nsit.
Notwithstanding, CHRAN supports the Bill and urges all stakeholders to close ranks and synergise towards the realisation of the lofty objectives of the Bill. The Center appreciates the Speaker, the Leadership and Members of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly for the invitation to this Public Hearing, believing that our submission will be considered in the legislation.
Signed
Otuekong Franklyn Isong
(Director)
Comrade (Barr.) Christopher Ekpo
(Secretary)
