Don’t sacrifice our future for Edo election, WASSCE candidates beg Buhari

Candidates of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in Edo state, are upset over the government’s decision to relocate their examination center.

The students were scheduled to write Mathematics 1 and 2 papers on Saturday but as a result of the clash with the Edo governorship election, the government intends to take them out of the state.

Hence, the candidates protested at the government house, Benin, on Monday, Punch reports.

The students complained that the proposed examination location would destabilise them from performing well in their exam.

Iko Moses, spokesperson and leader of the protest, said: “The plan to relocate us out of Edo State, our state, to other states for the examination because of the September 10 election in Edo State is an ill wind which will affect our chance to perform well in the examination.

“We have found this situation very disturbing, discouraging and we cannot take the risk. Environmental conduciveness has a great impact on students’ performance in examinations”.

Moses explained they had prepared themselves psychologically and mentally for the initial environment in terms of “safety, comfort, and accessibility”.

“You will agree with me that a threat to any of the mentioned indices is a threat to us and the outcome of the examination. We want to humbly say that as the election is important to the nation so is our exam important to us. It is even more important to us because without a good education, we cannot grow up to participate in the Nigerian democracy.

“The examination has already started in Edo State and it will be dangerous to now move us out of the terrain we are already used to and compel us to take one of our most important examinations outside the state.

“President Muhammadu Buhari should come to our aid. The comrade governor should also come to our aid. Our future must not be sacrificed for an election.”

The candidates further noted that conducting the election on the day they are supposed to write their papers would leave them disenfranchised while they also called for the postponement of the Edo governorship election.