How We’ve Managed Insecurity in Conduct of Exams – Adesina, WAEC PRO • As WAEC Nigeria Boss, Areghan, Spokesperson Bag NAOSNP Awards
The Director, Public Affairs, National Office, West African Examination Council (WAEC), Mrs. Moyosola Adesina, has disclosed that the exam body is not in any way exempted by the after effects of the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the society, stressing that it has at one time or another being a victim of the menace, but has always found a way to get free of the entanglement.
The WAEC image maker, who crowned the NAOSNP Image Maker of Year (government agencies) award, made the disclosure this while participating as a panelist at the 2023 National Security Conference of the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP) held at the Civic Centre Victoria Island, Lagos, on Thursday.
Adesina harped that the issue of small arms and light weapons in the hands of non state actors is not only worrisome, but that time has come when a wholistic approach is applied to reduce the menace to the barest minimum, and possibly eliminate it completely.
She said that the examination body, which has put everything in place to ensure that exams are not disrupted and also that ease is brought in to assist in gaining access to WAEC materials and services, is bothered with the insecurity situation as sometimes, hoodlums, armed and ready to pounce, do ambush and highjack officials, equipment and materials of the exam body thereby putting a clog in the conduct of exams.
“Each time our question papers are snatched or officials attacked, it affects not only examinations in Nigeria, but the entire five member countries. It also affects the finances of the council and consumes time needed for other ventures as there will be complete re-setting of the exam questions and other matters arising. So the issue of insecurity is very challenging,” she said.
She also clarified the issue of WAEC vindictiveness, saying that the body is only interested in testing the candidate’s ability, and awards whatever one is able to score in the examination.
“WAEC doesn’t victimized anyone, but only out to conduct the exams and award scores as merited. We are not a vindictive organisation, but an organisation saddled with the responsibility of helping candidates attain their full potential through their own hard work,” she said.
While lauding the efforts of security operatives in combating crimes and criminals, Adesina also informed that that WAEC certificates are now digitalis and easy to come by as anyone can log into the site and easily download his.
“This is one of many innovations of WAEC to make life easy for all candidates, in the past, present and future,” Adesina concluded.
Performing double functions on the day, Mrs Adesina also represented the Head of National Office, Mr. Patrick Areghan, who bagged the NAOSNP Man of the Year award (Education).
WAEC is a sub-regional examination body comprising Nigeria, Ghana, The Gambia, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
