NUJ Seeks Urgent Attention for Special Needs Students in Akwa Ibom

The Nigeria Union of Journalists, or NUJ, Akwa Ibom State Council, has called on the state government and civic-minded people to give the predicament of the state’s special needs school pupils more consideration.

Comrade Amos Etuk, the Chairman of the NUJ in Akwa Ibom State, made the call on Friday during the 2025 Valentine Charity outing of the NUJ’s Inspiration FM chapel, which had as its subject “A Heart For Others.” The event took place at the Learning Disabilities Society of Nigeria, LDSN, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

According to Etuk, the next Education Commissioner should put the needs and welfare of the special education students first in order to ensure a smooth learning environment.

Through the union’s advocacy, he also conveyed the desire that Governor Umo Eno would visit the center and attend to their urgent needs.

He also hoped that the children with special needs would soon receive enough support and assistance, and he praised their teachers for their patience in teaching and guiding them.

“This Valentine’s Day moment is the best I’ve ever seen,” he said. I believe in God, and I see the gregarious kids.

“I will advocate more vigorously for the government to give them more consideration. I’m confident that via advocacy, our receptive governor, who is passionate about education and people, will eventually come here.

Earlier in her speech, Comrade Imaobong Dem, the Chairman of Inspiration FM Chapel, greeted the audience and reaffirmed the challenges faced by parents of special needs children, emphasizing that they go above and beyond to provide for them.

Based on her conversations with the parents of these kids, Dem said she found that the majority of them are quite talented and proficient in painting, drawing, and other artistic endeavors.

In order to help these kids fulfill their divinely mandated role, she pleaded for the necessary assistance, including that of their parents.

You’ll see that many parents of these kinds of kids are alone if you take a close look. They’ll accomplish much more if we give them more assistance. “Children with autism or down syndrome are very talented and require a lot of help,” she remarked.

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On behalf of the center, Inimfon Okorie collected some food supplies, toiletries, and educational materials from IFM chapel and thanked them for their participation and for regularly selecting LDSN for their Valentine’s Day celebrations.

He alluded to the fact that the center offers skill-building programs in addition to implementing government-approved curricula in all aspects of schooling.