WASSCE: Call meeting of West African nations, WAEC – Afenifere tells FG

The Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, Thursday advised the federal government to urgently call a meeting of West African countries, and the regional examination body, the West African Examination Council (WAEC), over the impasse on 2020 West African Senior School Certification Examination (WASSCE).

The group said instead of denying the students a complete session, the examination can be managed in a way that the health of the students would not be compromised.

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National Publicity Secretary of the group, Mr. Yinka Odumakin spoke against the backdrop of the decision of the federal government to reverse the reopening of schools.

It would be recalled that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, had announced the reopening of schools for students preparing for primary 6, JSS 3 and SSS 3 examinations.

On the basis of the announcement, the Minister of State for Education, Mr. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, on Monday, announced that the WASSCE would hold from August 3 to September 5.

But on Wednesday, the Minister of Education, Mall. Adamu Adamu issued a counter directive, saying schools would no longer reopen and that the WASSCE could not hold for now.

But Afenifere was furious that the counter directive by the education minister was “yet another reason to know that we are burdened with a disintegrated government in Nigeria.”

Afenifere said since August 3 is still a bit far, “Nigeria should call a meeting of the West African countries involved and WAEC to manage the examinations in the interest of the students without compromising their health.

“This is how the government should run to show it cares for the public. The way our officials conduct themselves is becoming just too shameful.

“We advise Mr President to manage his men so that our students are not made to lose a session to the ego fights of our officials,” Odumakin said in the statement.

Afenifere stated that it was not comprehensible “That the PTF would go and announce that schools should go and resume without consultation with the ministry of education, and that the minister will come on TV and be stamping his feet ‘nobody will tell us when we are to  open until we are ready,’ if we have an integrated government.”