Adamu, Education Minister
An associate visiting professor of Mass Communication and the founder of an NGO, The Mighty One Empowerment Foundation (TEMOEFA), Dr. Barika D. Saro-Laka has begged the leadership of WAEC in Nigeria to consider granting 5% bonus marks to all students sitting for its examinations this year.
Dr. Saro-Laka said he was making the plea because of the already negative effect of COVID-19 epidemic on the academic activities of the students and in order to avert mass failure.
He made these requests while receiving parents of some school children and journalists in his Abuja office yesterday
The academician was quick to point out however that his plea was not intended to undermine the academic capacity of the concerned students, but was made as a logical solution to the problem posed by the Covid-19 pandemic to the education sector.
Dr. Saro-Laka called on the various state governments, the FCT Administration, companies and families to assist the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) in providing face masks, sanitisers, water dispensers and PPE for school children.
He called on public-spirited individuals, religious bodies and NGOs to assist in fumigating school premises as a way of helping to promote the comfort and safety of school children sitting for examinations.
Dr. Saro-Laka also hinted of plans by his organisation to honour the Head of National Office (Nigeria) of WAEC, Mr. Patrick E. Areghan with a merit award for his resilience, patriotism and dynamism in putting everything in place to ensure that children sit for this year’s examination, despite the short period for preparations.
“The Head of the National Office of WAEC in Nigeria, Mr. Patrick E. Areghan, has been approved to receive our historic merit award for his labour of love for Nigerian children and the award is tagged “Excellence Leadership Award for Exemplary Public Service”, the development activist disclosed.
Speaking on behalf of the parents who paid a thank you visit to the founder of the NGO for fighting to ensure that schools reopen for students in exiting classes, Alhaji Kabiru Baba Umar, said the activist’s efforts in ensuring that children do not lose one academic year due to the Corona Virus pandemic can never be forgotten and prayed God to continue to sustain him in all his activities.
He also called on the Parents Teachers’ Associations (PTAs) of all schools to assist schools in mobilising for the clearing of bushes in schools to enable students concentrate on their studies for their terminal examinations.
