The House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Services has resolved to approach President Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) on the need to fix a date for the 2020 West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
Rep. Julius Ihonvbere (APC-Edo), the Chairman of the Committee, expressed the resolution at the committee meeting with stakeholders in the education sector on Thursday in Abuja.
He said there was a need for stakeholders to be on the same page and to commence diplomatic efforts to get the other countries in the region on Nigeria’s side concerning the yet-to-be agreed examination date.
Ihonvbere said, “In the interest of the 1.6 million candidates that registered for the exams, there was a need to agree on a date for the regional examination as time was running out for the country.”
On his part, the Head of WAEC National Office in Nigeria, Mr Patrick Areghan, told the committee that it required time to print question papers and that other convoluted logistic considerations might come into play.
He explained that Ghana had wanted to have the examination in June because it is an election year in the country, but shelved it because of Nigeria.
Areghan added that it took a presidential directive for The Gambia to shelve its desire to have the examination before now.
“Nigeria should decide if it wants to give its candidates a COVID-19 exam certificate or a WAEC certificate in concert with the other countries.
“Getting parents to pay another set of fees might be difficult if the September date is missed; if the November option is considered, someone has to pick the bills,” he said.
