News

WAEC Warns Schools Against Extorting Students for Certificates, Promises Repercussions As SSCE Begins

Published

11 months ago

April 29, 2024

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

The Nigeria Head of National Office, West Africa Examination Council (WAEC), Dr. Amos Josiah Dangut, has sounded a note of warning to schools in the habit of extortiing money from their students in the name of paying for certificates, to desist from the act henceforth, or face repercussions.

The HNO gave the warning while addressing members of the media on the conduct of the 2024 Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) due to kick-start on April 30, 2024 in four member countries of the Council including Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone and The Gambia.

He noted that the public and the media have not been coming forward with reports of School indulging in the act, and that explains why the hammer has not fallen on some erring schools.

“The more you fail to report the schools involved, the more the act continues, so we encourage you to name schools involved in the act,” he said.

The HNO further noted that the examination, which will last a duration of seven weeks and six days will test a total of One Million, Eight Hundred and Fourteen Thousand, Three Hundred and Forty-Four (1, 814, 344) candidates from Twenty-Two Thousand Two Hundred and Twenty-Nine ( 22,229) schools, whose entries were received. Candidates will be tested in 76 subjects, spread into 197 papers during the period of the examination.

Of much importance, the HNO announced that the results of the SSCE will be released 45 days after the last paper, while the certificates for the students will be printed, and released to the schools 90 days after the release of the results, urging schools to release the certificates to the students-owners without any charges as their registration fees has already accommodated the charges for the certificates.

While advising parents and guardians to encourage their wards to study diligently and desist from engaging in any form of examination malpractice, Mr. Dangut tasks students to take advantage of all the educational platforms created by WAEC to ensure their success, such as the e-learning portal.

News

Explosion Rocks Trans Niger Pipeline in Rivers

Published

5 hours ago

March 18, 2025

Eric

An explosion has rocked a section of the Trans Niger Pipeline in Bodo Community in Gonna Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The explosion occurred late on Monday night near the Bodo-Bonny Road under construction

Thick black smoke was seen billowing into the atmosphere, with a raging fire spreading fast into the mangrove from a video that emerged on Tuesday morning.

The TNP is a federal transport line that supplies oil to the Bonny Export Terminal in Rivers State.

When contacted, the Police spokesperson in the state, Grace Iringe-Koko said she would find out and get back to our reporter, though she had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.

The Punch

News

Sack Wike Now, Niger Delta Youths Tell Tinubu

Published

3 days ago

March 15, 2025

Eric

The youth chapter of Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Nyesom Wike, to retract his publicly disparaging remarks against the Ijaw nation and the leaders of this socio-political body.

According to the youths, it is embarrassing that Wike insulted the late former Federal Commissioner for Information and South-South Leader, Chief Edwin Clark, even in death without respecting him.

Addressing journalists on Saturday, the National Youth President of the Youth Wing, Doben Donyegha, who gave the ultimatum, said that it was annoying that Wike abused the leaders of the South-South geopolitical zone less than 24 hours after its delegation met with the President at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Wike, during a media chat on Thursday, described PANDEF as “the worst organisation anybody can rely on”, while also calling the board of trustee members of the body “political merchants”.

Donyegha, who also urged President Bola Tinubu to immediately sack the minister from his cabinet, said that the youth wing no longer had confidence in him and that keeping Wike in his cabinet may affect the president’s re-election chances in the Niger Delta come 2027.

The President of the PANDEF youths also asked the Code of Conduct Bureau to investigate the minister, alleging land-grabbing activities in the FCT.

News

Ahead Budget Presentation, Amaewhule-led Rivers Assembly Adjourns Sitting Indefinitely

Published

4 days ago

March 14, 2025

Eric

The Rivers State House of Assembly has adjourned its sittings indefinitely.

The decision to adjourn legislative duties indefinitely was reached during plenary, presided over by the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, in Port Harcourt on Friday.

The development comes hours after the State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, wrote to the Speaker, informing him of his intention to visit the House to present the 2025 Appropriation Bill for consideration and approval.

The governor, in a letter dated March 13 and addressed to the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, said he intends to present the budget on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, or any other day within March that the House may deem fit.

Fubara said his decision is in compliance with the Supreme Court judgment and in response to the lawmakers’ request for him to re-present the budget.

He recalled the bitter experience of visiting the Assembly Quarters with his entourage, where the lawmakers were temporarily sitting to present the budget, but he was denied access to the complex.