The examination body said the authorities in Borno refused to respond to its call, well before the commencement of the exams, to relocate candidates for this year’s SSCE to the state capital and other safe locations, where security agents would keep an eye on them, while they wrote their exams.
Disclosing this on Friday, Head of WAEC’s National Office, Charles Eguridu, who joined First Lady Patience Jonathan in a meeting with wives of state governors over the Chibok case, said 530 candidates were registered at the school for this year’s SSCE, 135 male, 396 female.
Eguridu told the women that WAEC was not aware, that the state government had converted the Chibok school to a mixed school, as the school remains an all-girls school on WAEC’s records.
He said WAEC had made the request to relocate candidates to safe locations in early March, in a letter to the governments of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States.
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He explained that the request was made because of the fears raised by the staff of WAEC who lost three of their colleagues last year while travelling with answer scripts from Maiduguri to Yola.
Eguridu said regrettably, none of the three state governments under emergency rule responded to the request.
“When we made that representation (letter) to the three affected states, none of them responded to the honourable minister’s request.
“We followed it up and I directed my zonal coordinator in Borno state in particular, to liaise with the Ministry of Education in Borno State and the response we got was so disheartening.
“We were told that they had security in place for the candidates and that we should come and conduct the examination in the schools and that they were not ready to relocate their students from Chibok and other areas to Maiduguri or nearby locations where security agencies could provide security.
“They said if we failed to conduct the examinations, the world would blame us. And so at great risk, my officers went to Chibok and conducted the examinations.
“After the unfortunate incident in which the students were said to have been abducted, our staff now got a response from the state that they were then ready to relocate the remaining students to another place called Uba.
“And as I speak, 189 candidates are continuing with the examination in Uba,” Eguridu told the First Lady and her guests, with the women expressing shock and disbelief at the story.
WAEC’s letter to the three state governments, which Eguridu read to the women states as follaws: “Your Excellency, Security challenges and the conduct of the 2014 WASC, SSCE in Borno, Yobe and parts of Adamawa States.
“In view of the current security challenges in the North East states of the country, the West African Examination Council has expressed concerns over the safety of their officers who will be deployed to supervise the conduct of the 2014 diet of the examination in your state.
“In response to these concerns, I have directed that the candidates in the federal unity schools be assembled in the respective state capitals where they are to sit for the examination in safe location.
“You are please enjoined to make contingency arrangements for candidates for public and private schools in your state to sit for the examination in safe locations.
“Details of your arrangements should be forwarded to the Federal Ministry of Education and the examination body for their information and necessary action. Please accept the assurances of my highest regards.”
“By Sunday, we must have our children. If not, we will match to Borno and ask the governor to give us our children. We will match to National Assembly to see the Senate President and will also match to see the President,” she said.
“I cannot perpetuate hearsay and rumour. I must have facts to tell the international community. We will set up a committee to seek the truth as women.
“If any of those we call refuse to come, we will take the protest to Chibok. I don’t mind being shot as long as they return our girls to us safely, we are tired of the kidnapping,” she said.
“If any of those we call refuse to come, we will take the protest to Chibok. I don’t mind being shot as long as they return our girls to us safely, we are tired of the kidnapping,” she said.
Mrs. Jonathan disclosed that the first ladies of Cameroon, Chad, Niger and various countries and organisations have called to ask questions and offer assistance on the matter.
“Within three days, something will happen. We will get to the root of the matter. I don’t come out and go back empty. I have come out and something must happen.
“We will not fold our hands and see our children kidnapped, and our husbands, sons, daughters also being killed. We should be more concerned.
“We will form a committee to call on appropriate persons to come and answer questions. They must answer us. If they won’t answer us, then they should go and bring our children. The demonstration will take place at their doorsteps.
“When they answer us, we can then approach our neighbours, the President, Senate President and others to help us.
“I have been dealing with this secretly but you have taken me to the market square. There is no more hiding.”
He explained that the request was made because of the fears raised by the staff of WAEC who lost three of their colleagues last year while travelling with answer scripts from Maiduguri to Yola.
Eguridu said regrettably, none of the three state governments under emergency rule responded to the request.
“When we made that representation (letter) to the three affected states, none of them responded to the honourable minister’s request.
“We followed it up and I directed my zonal coordinator in Borno state in particular, to liaise with the Ministry of Education in Borno State and the response we got was so disheartening.
“We were told that they had security in place for the candidates and that we should come and conduct the examination in the schools and that they were not ready to relocate their students from Chibok and other areas to Maiduguri or nearby locations where security agencies could provide security.
“They said if we failed to conduct the examinations, the world would blame us. And so at great risk, my officers went to Chibok and conducted the examinations.
“After the unfortunate incident in which the students were said to have been abducted, our staff now got a response from the state that they were then ready to relocate the remaining students to another place called Uba.
“And as I speak, 189 candidates are continuing with the examination in Uba,” Eguridu told the First Lady and her guests, with the women expressing shock and disbelief at the story.
WAEC’s letter to the three state governments, which Eguridu read to the women states as follaws: “Your Excellency, Security challenges and the conduct of the 2014 WASC, SSCE in Borno, Yobe and parts of Adamawa States.
“In view of the current security challenges in the North East states of the country, the West African Examination Council has expressed concerns over the safety of their officers who will be deployed to supervise the conduct of the 2014 diet of the examination in your state.
“In response to these concerns, I have directed that the candidates in the federal unity schools be assembled in the respective state capitals where they are to sit for the examination in safe location.
“You are please enjoined to make contingency arrangements for candidates for public and private schools in your state to sit for the examination in safe locations.
“Details of your arrangements should be forwarded to the Federal Ministry of Education and the examination body for their information and necessary action. Please accept the assurances of my highest regards.”
First Lady, Patience Jonathan also lamented bitterly on the disappearance of the girls. She said that she dose not mind taking a protest in chibok even if she is shot in the process . In her words she said,
“I cannot perpetuate hearsay and rumour. I must have facts to tell the international community. We will set up a committee to seek the truth as women.
“If any of those we call refuse to come, we will take the protest to Chibok. I don’t mind being shot as long as they return our girls to us safely, we are tired of the kidnapping,” she said.
“If any of those we call refuse to come, we will take the protest to Chibok. I don’t mind being shot as long as they return our girls to us safely, we are tired of the kidnapping,” she said.
Mrs. Jonathan disclosed that the first ladies of Cameroon, Chad, Niger and various countries and organisations have called to ask questions and offer assistance on the matter.
“Within three days, something will happen. We will get to the root of the matter. I don’t come out and go back empty. I have come out and something must happen.
“We will not fold our hands and see our children kidnapped, and our husbands, sons, daughters also being killed. We should be more concerned.
“We will form a committee to call on appropriate persons to come and answer questions. They must answer us. If they won’t answer us, then they should go and bring our children. The demonstration will take place at their doorsteps.
“When they answer us, we can then approach our neighbours, the President, Senate President and others to help us.
“I have been dealing with this secretly but you have taken me to the market square. There is no more hiding.”
Culled from http://nigeriantimes.ng/news/waec-indicts-borno-govt-on-abduction-of-chibok-girls-as-first-lady-announces-rescue-plan/
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