by The Head of the Nigeria National Office West African Examinations Council, Dr Amos Dangut has appealed for an exemption from the strike embarked upon by the organised labour to enable the council to conduct the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination without disruptions.
The ongoing WASSCE commenced on April 30 and will end on June 24, 2024.
The organised labour had declared a nationwide strike, which began on Monday, June 3, 2024, over the Federal Government’s refusal to raise the proposed minimum wage from N60,000.
In an interview with The PUNCH, Dangut explained that the Council shared the pains of Nigerian workers but emphasised that the candidates would be at a global disadvantage if denied the opportunity to write and complete the ongoing WASSCE.
“You and I are facing a difficult situation. We appreciate the suffering everyone is going through. The state of the country is known to all; it is indeed pathetic. At WAEC, we are not isolated from these challenges.
“Today, we talk about globalisation. If our children do not write the exams to fit into a global scenario, they will be at a major disadvantage. Our cause is just—workers are asking for improvements in their conditions.
“Unfortunately, the world will not understand the problems we are facing if we don’t allow our children to write their exams. If our children miss their exams while others in different parts of the country do not, will anyone give them admission because there was a strike?” he said.
He appealed to all stakeholders to create an enabling environment to ensure that the exams could proceed smoothly and the country could successfully conduct the WASSCE.
Dangut said, “Let us allow our children to take the exams so they can compete with other children worldwide. We share the pains of the workers, but for the sake of our children, we must allow them to write the exams. We are appealing to the public for the sake of these children. Let us not compound their problems.
“Please, let’s allow them to write the exams. If the teacher who is supposed to open the exam hall doesn’t come, or if the gatekeeper refuses to open the gate, it is an appeal to help these children.
“We have a mandate to conduct exams and we are prepared, but we need an enabling environment,” he said.
