Exam Ethics chief backs Edo Govt on NECO

BENIN—THE Chairman of the Exam Ethics International, Mr Ike Onyechere, has supported the Edo State government on its warning against the use of men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC, in the conduct of the National Examination Council, NECO, examination, due to what he described as the gross examination malpractices observed so far in the conduct of the examination around the country.

In a statement made available to Vanguard in Benin City, the statement recalled the efforts being made by the state Commissioner for Education, Mrs Ngozi Osarenren to ensure that all “miracle centres” are stamped out in the state, regretting that the earlier alarm raised by the state government on the decision by the management of NECO to use uniformed men to conduct the on-going NECO examination was disregarded.

According to the statement , “ the use of officers and men of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence officials in supervision and invigilation of examinations has started another dangerous and unorthodox dimension to the administration of examinations in Nigeria (16,000 of them were used in monitoring last JAMB examinations).

It has become necessary for the Federal Government to confirm whether the use of Civil Defense officials as monitors and supervisors of examinations is now established policy.

“If this is so, there will then be need to select those with requisite character and personality traits to be followed with serious training and orientation on operational modalities.

If NSCDC now has full responsibility for monitoring and supervision of NECO examinations across the country, to what extent can it be held responsible for operational lapses in the exams. A National Newspaper recently reported massive leakage of NECO question papers in Ondo State.

“It is appalling and very shameful to note that the current Senior Secondary examination being conducted by National Examination Council (NECO) in some parts of Ondo State is an exercise in futility. What can be more futile than seeing what is supposed to be given maximum security and protection being bought in the market square?

The papers are everywhere possible two or three days before the examination is written” it stated.

It added therefore that “the effort by NECO to paint Edo State government as supporter of exam fraud is very unfortunate indeed. We wish to state, without fear of contradiction, that His Excellency, Comrade Adams Oshimhole, the Executive Governor of Edo State is one of the most ethics-friendly Governors in Nigeria today.

He is one of the few Governors in Nigeria today that have taken serious action to sanitize the education sector.

“The record speaks for itself: enforcement of prohibition of admission of students into SS3 to check operations of special magic centres; streamlining guidelines for registration of WAEC and NECO candidates in private schools such that accredited private schools are not turned as special centres; introduction of harmonized examinations in public schools to minimize extortion and corruption setting up of visitation panel for Ambrose Alli University to determine level of transparency and accountability in financial management, exact students population relative to facilities available, quality of training” it stated.