The West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) says no candidate in Enugu state missed its ongoing exam due to the sit-at-home order by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
On September 13, several students partaking in this year’s WASSCE in the south-east were said to have missed their English Language (essay and objective) paper due to the IPOB directive.
TheCable Lifestyle had reported how suspected gunmen chased away some of the students from taking the exam in Imo state.
But speaking with NAN on Tuesday, Eucharia Onodu, WAEC’s deputy registrar/zonal coordinator, claimed all the candidates in Enugu sat for the exam despite the sit-at-home order.
Onodu said the sit-at-home order only affected the students emotionally, adding that many of them had to sleep over in their schools to be able to meet up.
According to her, some candidates had to trek long distances while others squatted with those in the hostels to be able to write the examination.
“I am aware some made extra effort, while others went to a lot of stress to write this exam and on our own part, we did not compromise the protocols put in place,” she said.
“We still had the exams as scheduled on the timetable and I am happy that at the end they all made it.
“I do not think somebody missed the exam because of the sit-at-home order.”
The coordinator said before the commencement of the exam, WAEC held a stakeholder meeting with the ministry of education and the commissioner in charge of the ministry on how to secure centres for the exam.
Onodu also said the commissioner later reached out to the community leaders who assured WAEC of using local vigilantes to secure the centres.
“We really felt their presence at the various centres across the state and I am glad to announce that no community has reported any attack so far. And on our own, we used the regular police to escort security materials,” she added.
The federal government had earlier said candidates who missed the exam in the region would be given another opportunity.
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