Following deterioration of the security situation in the country occasioned by the #ENDSARS protests, the National Examination Council NECO has stopped the conduct of the Senior School Certificate Examination SSCE .
THISDAY learnt that the examination body has already directed its examiners and invigilators to return to their various offices and await further instructions.
The decision to stop the conduct of the examination also followed the declaration of 24-hour curfew by some state governors especially those of Lagos, Ogun, Edo and Imo where the #ENDSARS protest had assumed destructive dimensions.
The examination body had conducted the Economics paper test on Tuesday while the Physics practical paper took place on Wednesday without some candidates in some states writing the tests because of the protest and curfew
A message from the Director of Examination Administration to all its field officers confirmed the stoppage of the examination.
The message titled :PUTTING ON HOLD SOME PAPERS OF THE ONGOING SSCE”, the examination body defended its action by saying: “The Management and Governing Board of the National Examinations Council NECO is compelled by circumstances occasioned
by the EndSARS protests which led to imposition of curfews in some states thereby making it difficult for the council to move sensitive materials across the country, to put on hold papers for Thursday 22 ,Friday 23 and Saturday 24th.October.
“The papers will be written between 17th to 19th November after computer practical paper on the 16th.Examinations will continue on the 27th of October.
“ALL Officers are hereby directed to return to base and await further directives on the 25th.
“State Ministries of Education ,Schools, parents ,Supervisors, monitoring officers and other stakeholders should be adequately sensitized,”
the circular said.
A senior official of NECO had also told THISDAY “It is absolutely difficult for us to continue to conduct the Examinations in the present circumstance” .
“We are monitoring the situation, when things normalise we will sit to decide the next line of action,” THISDAY was further told.
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