SIR: The statement credited to the minister of education, Mallam Adamu Adamu which is generally seen as the position or decision of the federal government, canceling this year’s West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE), is to say the least retrogressive.
Come to think of it, when there was COVID-19-induced restriction on interstate movements, it was grossly violated by the youths from across the states in Nigeria. More than one hundred of northern youths were and are still seen in transit of almost every articulated vehicle coming down south for more than five hours before they alighted. Whereas it doesn’t take more than two and half hours for candidates to sit for a paper. Who is more prone to contacting Coronavirus?
There is this insinuation that the cancelation of 2020 WASSCE by the federal government is a tacit way of weakening the geopolitical zones that are believed to be educationally qualified or advantaged. This appears to be so, because there was a similar move in the 1990s to stop southern Nigeria from sitting for WAEC’s General Certificate of Education (GCE) examinations.
What the federal government can do is to release enough fund to insulate the 1.6 million candidates in the exams. Are we postponing the gubernatorial elections in Edo and Ondo states? Certainly not. It is the duty of government to find ways for the election to hold. When a child is denied good education, he is sure to destroy the goodwill of his parents.
Again, if the APC-led federal government uses any uncanny method to stop the states that are ready to release their candidates for the examination, it will make it to be (more) unpopular especially in the southwest states of Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo.
But why the policy somersault? Officials of the APC-led federal government have been issuing conflicting statements to the chagrin of Nigerians. In all these the president remains silent. Let the president break the logjam
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Adelani Olawuyi, Ogbomoso, Oyo State.
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