A group of Obudu youths operating in Cross River State under the auspices of the youths of Ipong Ward, Obudu, have condemned the petition written by a faction of chiefs and youths from Urban Ward 1 against the Provost of the Federal College of Education (FCE), Obudu, Richard Otubaku, describing the petition as ill-motivated.

After passing a vote of confidence on the Provost, the group stated that Otubaku’s performance was “outstanding, worthy of praise, and capable of turning around the fortunes of the institution to enviable heights.”

Ugwakong Emmanuel, President of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Ipong Ward, Obudu Local Government, who spoke to newsmen on Sunday, explained that Otubaku’s performance had so far attracted applause from “both within and outside Obudu.”

The group described the petition against the Provost as “mischief orchestrated by a faction of chiefs and youths from Urban Ward 1” and claimed it was filed without the consent of the other 9 wards out of 10 in the Local Government Area.

The youth president further said that, in their estimation, the Provost has done well since 2022 when he assumed office, especially when compared to his predecessors.

“The man has done well in the area of infrastructural development and administrative discipline. You can see that there has been relative peace in the institution, with no student unrest. The protest you witnessed was not carried out by students or staff,” he said.

He continued: “The counter-petition, on the purported allegations against the Provost by a section of Obudu Urban Ward 1, Cross River State, signed by the National Youth Council (NYCN) Secretary (Ipong Ward), Comrade Beshel Moses, and 33 others, urged the federal government to discard the petition from Otubaku’s persecutors. The group stressed that a faction of individuals from Urban Ward 1, Obudu, has no sole discretion to make decisions on behalf of the other nine wards that make up the LGA.”