Gov Masari, pay all students” WAEC/NECO fees

Governor Aminu Bello Masari has not minced words in his desire to reposition the education sector in Katsina State. On several occasions he had reiterated the determination of his administration to improve the standard of education in the state. However, there is discontent across the state over the decision of Governor Masari to suspend the […]

Governor Aminu Bello Masari has not minced words in his desire to reposition the education sector in Katsina State. On several occasions he had reiterated the determination of his administration to improve the standard of education in the state.
However, there is discontent across the state over the decision of Governor Masari to suspend the payment of WAEC, NECO and NABTEB fees for final year students of public secondary schools. It is on record that the people of the state have been enjoying the payment of such fees for several years. It is a government policy that has greatly boosted school enrolment in the state.
  According to Governor Masari, out of the 206,768 candidates who sat for WASSCE between 2008 and 2014, only 31,228 passed with 5 credits and above. Also, out of 212,624 that sat for NECO between 2008 and 2014, only 45,027 passed with 5 credits and above. It was based on the above analysis that the governor announced in October last year, at Sada Primary School in Kankia town, that his administration would not sustain the payment of WAEC and NECO examination fees.
 However, when it became obvious that the pronouncement did not go down well with stakeholders in the state, Masari recanted. As a result of the present situation, the state government introduced mock examination as a condition for the payment of WAEC and NECO examination fees for final year students.
 The outcome of this mock examination was greeted with mass protest by students in public secondary schools across the state. According to the Commissioner for Education, Professor HalimatuIdris, out of the 46,000 students that sat for the examination, only 4,600 passed with three credits and above. It is only these 4,600 students that are qualified to enjoy the payment of WAEC and NECO examination fees by the state government. 
The affected students are alleging foul play and deliberate tactics by government officials to fail them, adding that it is a ploy to reduce the number of students whose WAEC and NECO examination fees the government would pay.
In moving the education sector in Katsina forward, Governor Masari should note that a doctor does not cure headache by cutting off the head of the patient. The governor should realise that a lot of people’s lives have been transformed by WAEC or NECO certificates, the number of credits/passes notwithstanding. There are many government establishments today that are using secondary school leaving certificates as a basic requirement for staff recruitment.
 Similarly, basic educational requirement to contest for political offices in Nigeria, including the office of the president, is a WAEC certificate; the number of credits/passes is not stated. The same goes for some vocational training courses. If we are to go by the assessment and judgement of Masari, the state government is only interested in those that can pass WAEC and NECO with 5 credits and above and possibly proceed to higher institutions of learning.
It is quite unfortunate that the restoration agenda of the Masari administration is for a selected few. It is disheartening to discover that our leaders allow power to becloud their reasoning. They easily forget their backgrounds.
If the government is serious about repositioning the education sector in Katsina State, he should provide the infrastructural needs of public schools and recruit the needed manpower.
There is an urgent need for Governor Masari to fulfil one of his campaign promises, which is free school feeding. He should also not forget his pledge to enroll his children in public schools,which has not been done up till now.
Muntari Alli wrote from Kofar Kaura, Katsina