WASSCE CANCELLATION: An Attempt To Put The Future Of Our Nation On Hold

By Ikechukwu Augustine Obah

In recent time, I have been questioned by my friends, allies and colleagues on my position over the cancellation of this year’s West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination by the Federal Government through the Ministry of Education as a result of the spike in the number of Covid-19 cases in the Country.

To some, I gave them the answer they wanted to hear, having known the background of where their questions emanated from. However, I must confess without looking at whose ox is gored that the unilateral cancellation of the examination is not in Nigeria’s best interest.

Just like some stakeholders have asserted in recent past days, the decision is not only perilous but will definitely set our nation’s youths back and place them behind their contemporaries in other West African Countries.

Already, we have over fifteen Million out of School Children in Nigeria which research indicated that instability in our educational system is one of the numerous causative factors spiking the numbers annually. Hence, this new development if not reversed, would no doubt exacerbate the aforementioned issue.

Statistics already have it that over 1.5 million Nigerians applied for this year’s examination. In fact, some of them wrote the just concluded UTME Examinations and performed excellently. Now their hope of gaining admission into the tertiary institution this year is on a verge of being shattered and dashed away without any support and resolution from the government; very sad I must admit.

In as much as at this time of the present global pandemic, every Government is cautious and making conscientious effort’s to save the lives of her citizens, it is however irrational to open some sectors of the economy without putting education in our agenda. This is because all economic indicators are tied to the educational indexes of a Nation.

Coronavirus has come to stay and not leaving very soon. Therefore, rather than canceling such important examination which will unilaterally make the candidates to miss a year in their academic pursuit, it’s better the government just like Atiku Abubakar Suggested, mobilize all available public and Private infrastructure including stadia, Primary Schools and Cinemas, for the examination. With these, we can achieve proper social and physical distancing without risking the health of our children.

Finally, it is expedient to note that our children are the Future of our Nation and thus, we owe them all the necessary supports to strive and compete favorably with their counterparts in other Nations and not setting them backwards.

Covid-19 is real but not a death sentence nor a more reason to put the future of our Nation at a bleak.