Due to a protracted delay in exam paper delivery, students in areas of Benue State were forced to write the objective portion of their English exam under appalling conditions on Wednesday night, using lanterns and phone torchlights.
The impacted applicants had already finished the essay portion of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), but they had to wait for the exam officer to bring the objective section for many hours. Some centers apparently ended the exams as late as 11:00 p.m., indicating that the delay continued into the night.
A secondary school student from Ogbadibo Local Government Area, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Daily Post about the experience: “We waited for hours after writing the essay.” We had to write the objective section using lanterns and our phone lighting when the exam officer eventually arrived. It was really stressful.
An further applicant stated: “The examiner provided no substantial justification for the postponement. He simply arrived, gave the documents, and made no mention of his tardiness.
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When parents discovered that their children were still writing papers late into the night, they were alarmed and hurried to the schools in anticipation of the late-night exams.
A very upset parent in Owukpa voiced worries about the youngsters’ safety and welfare, saying, “This is a national disgrace.” How can kids be taking examinations at such a risky hour in the dark, in the middle of nowhere? Do we wish to teach Nigeria’s future in this manner?
The scenario was made more difficult by the region’s security issues. Because of safety concerns, the test officer had to be housed overnight, according to a local community leader in Owukpa: “We had no choice but to let him sleep here.” No one in this region of the country goes anyplace at 11 p.m., and it was well past that time. Government action is required.
According to reports, the anomalies were not limited to Ogbadibo. The integrity of the test process is seriously called into question because pupils in a number of other regions of Benue were not given the objective papers at all and are now asked to complete them the next morning.
Concerns over the validity of the tests were raised by a teacher from one of the impacted schools, who stated: “This type of irregularity puts the integrity of the examination at risk.” We anticipate that WAEC will address this and take immediate corrective action.
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has not yet released an official statement about the incident at the time this article was filed.
