Over 4,000 May Lose Jobs in NECO

    Over 4,000 people will be rendered
jobless if the National Examination
Council (NECO) is scrapped as
recommended by the Oronsaye
panel, the Non Academic Staff Union
(NASU) has warned.
The Chairman of NASU, NECO
chapter, Comrade Abdulrasheed
Rabana, gave the warning yesterday
while reacting to media report that
government was contemplating
scrapping the only indigenous
examination body, saying most of
these staff are skilled and technical
senior officers.
He said any attempt to scrap NECO
and make WAEC to take over all its
structures could be viewed as
subjugation of Nigerian sovereignty
and national pride to the regional
examination body, adding that
should anything happen to WAEC
tomorrow, what will be the fate of
Nigerian students.
Rabana said many countries that are
only having one examination body
were aspiring to have more to cater
for explosion in schools enrolment,
adding that ironically in Nigeria
government was contemplating to
scrap the only examination body in
the country that took several years
to build.
"Having more than one examination
body is seen globally as a mark of
national achievement rather than a
burden. This the more reason why
countries that still manage with one
institution aspire to have more in
tandem with the global explosion in
school enrolments and by
implication examination
candidates," he said.
He further argued that unknown to
the Oronsaye committee, any
attempt to interrupt the progress
made in NECO by scrapping the
examination council would be
viewed as a setback in national drive
toward self reliance in education.
Similarly, the Governing Board and
Management of NECO had
reassured candidates and schools
that had registered for the various
examinations that the time table for
such examinations remained
unchanged, saying National
Common Entrance Examination
(NCEE), Basic Education Certificate
Examination (BECE) and Senior
School Certificate Examination
(SSCE) will hold as scheduled on
April 13, 2013, May 9th -23rd, 2013
and 1st June - 12th July, 2013
respectively.