The West Africa Examinations Council (WAEC) has informed secondary school principals, supervisors, parents, guardians, and students that the nationwide strike scheduled to begin on Monday will not affect the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) schedule. Mrs T.A.Y. Lawson, the Branch Controller (Ekiti) at WAEC, made this announcement on Saturday, June 1, according to a report by Drivetvnews.
In a letter titled “Notice of Commencement of Indefinite Strike by NLC and TUC” with reference number EK/BC/SC/EXAM/07/Vol.1/89, Mrs Lawson alerted principals and school heads in Ekiti State of the strike, which Organised Labour announced on Friday. This strike is in protest of the federal government’s failure to conclude negotiations on a new national minimum wage and reverse the electricity tariff hike.
The timetable for this year’s WAEC examination started on Tuesday, April 30, and is expected to end on Thursday, June 20, 2024.
Organised Labour declared the indefinite nationwide strike to commence on Monday, June 3, 2024, during a joint press conference held by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Joe Ajaero, and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) President, Festus Osifo, yesterday. Drivetvnews reported that Organised Labour walked out of the Tripartite Committee meeting on the new national minimum wage, following the government and organized private sector’s refusal to accept the ₦60,000 offer made on Tuesday.
In her late Friday night letter, Mrs Lawson stated: “The attention of Management has been drawn to a notice of the Commencement of Indefinite Strike by NLC and TUC effective, Monday, 3rd June 2024. Please be formally informed that the conduct of WASSCE SC 2024 goes on as scheduled.”
She further noted that the examination authority, alongside the unions, has a responsibility to ensure that students in Nigeria and other West African countries are not disadvantaged by missing the ongoing examination.
“In as much as we share the concerns of the unions and the generality of Nigerians, the WASSCE SC is going on across the member Countries of WAEC and the Nigerian Child should not be put to a disadvantage of missing the exam,” Mrs Lawson stated.
“Therefore, WAEC will conduct the exam and School Principals, supervisors, parents, and the general public should please take note and make adequate arrangements for their candidates to sit the exam. Kindly be guided accordingly,” the statement concluded.
