By Emma Akpabio
The ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) will continue on Monday, May 3, 2024, in Akwa Ibom State, despite the nationwide indefinite strike action called by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
The Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Idongesit Etiebet, disclosed this today while fielding questions from journalists in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.
Recalling that the timetable of the examinations for Nigerian students, which commenced on Tuesday, April 30, will last till Thursday, June 20, 2024, Etiebet said a notice sent by the South-South Zonal Coordinator of WASC, W. B. Amode, to her ministry confirms the continuation of the WASSCE.
While calling for strict adherence to the directive of the organized labour unions, the education boss admonished all principals, WASSCE candidates, supervisors, parents, and all parties involved to ensure the examinations go on smoothly across all centers.
Restating Governor Umo Eno’s zero tolerance for examination malpractice, Etiebet warned against all forms of malpractice and reassured that monitoring exercises will be carried out in all examination centers at both private and public schools in the state.
According to the Education Commissioner, the examination body, in a notice sent to the ministry, shares the burden of the unions but added that the students should not be at the receiving end by missing the ongoing examination in Nigeria and some West African states.
It would be recalled that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) had declared a nationwide strike action from Monday, June 3, 2024.
The organized labour took the decision after its negotiation with the Federal Government ended without a truce.
Labour has accused the government of lacking commitment in negotiations on the new minimum wage and demanded a reversal of the recent hike in electricity tariffs.
