Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the late
commencement of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE)
on Wednesday.
Candidates at several exam centres in Nigeria experienced
delays in writing the English Language paper on Wednesday.
At multiple locations, the exam, scheduled to begin at 9 am,
did not commence until midday.
In some centres, the last paper did not start until
nightfall, with students in Lagos reportedly still writing as late as 11:45 pm
under torchlight.
In a statement on Thursday, Abubakar said it is “nothing
short of a national disgrace” for students to sit for the examination in unfit
conditions, just a day after the world marked International Children’s Day.
He said the incident was a “damning indictment” of Nigeria’s
systemic failure to uphold the most basic standards in public education.
“It is unacceptable, unjustifiable, and utterly indefensible
that in 2025, our children are forced to write critical national exams in pitch
darkness like second-class citizens,” the statement reads.
“This incident must awaken our national conscience. It must
compel immediate and sustained investment in critical social infrastructure,
with education as the foremost priority — not in rhetoric but in tangible
action.”
Abubakar demanded that the affected paper be retaken in all
compromised centres as anything less would be a “grave injustice” to the
students.
“Examination preparedness is a shared responsibility between
students and the examination authorities. In this case, it is glaringly evident
that the latter have failed spectacularly in their duty. It would be utterly
unjust to allow students to suffer the consequences of such gross institutional
negligence,” the statement reads.
“Going forward, it is imperative that relevant authorities
establish and enforce minimum environmental and infrastructural standards for
all high-stakes national examinations. We must never allow such a shameful
scenario to repeat itself — not under our watch.”
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You have never commend this government, doe that mean they have never done any good things in the last 2years. Pls commend them for once
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