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WASSCE: Don’t jeopardise future of Nigerian students, Babalola tells FG

The Founder and Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola, has said the non-participation of Nigeria in this year’s West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) could jeopardise the future of final year secondary students in the country.

 

Rather than prevent Nigerian students from the examination due to coronavirus pandemic, Babalola urged the Federal Government to use all schools, colleges and tertiary institutions currently shut down in the country for the annual examination.

 

In a statement issued yesterday, the legal luminary said all that was required to take the WAEC examination is proper management, consultation and discussion instead of unilateral cancellation.

 

He spoke against the backdrop of statement credited to the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, that Nigeria will not participate in the forthcoming WAEC examinations and schools under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Education will not be opened on August 4 or any time soon.

 

But Babalola noted that COVID-19 will exist for a long time, saying the country must learn how to manage it like previous pandemics.

 

He frowned at the decision not to allow 1.5 million students participate in the WAEC exams, stressing that it may breed frustration and promote criminality.

 

He said: “About 1.5 million Nigerian students who have registered for admission into various tertiary institutions in the country are waiting for WAEC examination results for admission into university of their choice.

 

“Even though the Hon. Minister of Education insisted that it was not safe to re-open the various institutions in the face of the increasing wave of COVID- 19 pandemic, he did not indicate when it will be safe for Nigerian students who have been staying at home since March 23 to participate in the annual examination.

 

“To be sure, COVID-19 will be with us for a long time to come. Like Small Pox, Malaria, Influenza, flu, Leprosy and Cholera, it may not be completely exterminated from planet earth.

 

That means that Nigerians have to manage COVID-19 pandemic the same way as the world has been managing previous pandemics. We must be ready at all times to abide by rules and guidelines issued by WHO.

 

“It is my firm belief that the future of these 1.5 million young Nigerians who have registered for WAEC should not be put in jeopardy. It is a well-known fact that all schools, colleges and tertiary institutions in the country are currently shut down.

 

“This affords the Federal Government the opportunity to use them for WAEC examination.

 

What the government should do is to prepare the empty rooms for WAEC examination – fumigate the halls and the premises, use face masks, provide sanitizers and ensure that WHO rules are obeyed to the letter.”

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