The Katsina State Government has called for the cancellation of the recently held West African Examination Council (WAEC) English Language paper due to a significant delay in its commencement nationwide.
The state’s position was made public on Saturday by the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Hajiya Zainab Musa-Musawa, during her visit to the WAEC office in Katsina. The demand follows a disruption on Wednesday that saw the exam begin several hours behind schedule across the country.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the call for cancellation is based on a formal petition submitted by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Hajiya Ummukhair Ahmed.
WAEC had earlier attributed the delay to strengthened measures aimed at preventing examination malpractice, particularly the leakage of question papers.
However, Musa-Musawa expressed concern over the conditions under which students were forced to write the exam. “Some students ended up writing the examination at night, in darkness, using torchlights, phone flashlights, and even security lights to see,” she said.
She urged schools, parents, and the public to remain calm and await the outcome of the petition, assuring that the state government is committed to ensuring fairness for all affected students.
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