By CHIDI ESIKE

What started as the withholding of the physics result of the whole students that wrote physics in the most recent WAEC examination in Abia State by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) with the attendant lingering anxiety among students, parents, friends, schools, etc, had metamorphosed into an outright cancellation of the physics result of all the students that wrote physics in that examination in the whole of Abia State with the examination body giving the reason that the Physics Practical Examination was compromised. What this means is that all the students in Abia State that wrote physics cannot proceed to any higher institution of learning this year to read Medicine, Engineering, other science-related courses, etc, both in Nigeria or abroad. What a way to waste, traumatise and humiliate a hardworking and brilliant generation of Nigerian students in ABIA State for the sloppiness and incompetence of WAEC and her recurring and scandalous association with examination leakage.

WAEC sure needs to explain and indeed answer some burning questions for this selective blanket maltreatment to and stigmatization of Nigerian students schooling in Abia State.

The Physics paper consists of three parts namely the main paper, the multiple choice and the practical. Is it really proper for WAEC to cancel this paper in a whole state because one of the three parts was adjudged compromised as we were told. What happens to those students and schools that tried to be honest and wrote the exam on their own and could be adjudged to be brilliant by their all-round consistent high performance in all their other subjects? Given the grave implication of cancelling this paper and compromising the future of all science students in a whole state who arguably are in the majority, could WAEC not have judged these students with the two parts that were not compromised or go ahead to reset and reschedule the compromised exam for the students since if the paper leaked, it was due to the fault of WAEC and because a whole state was involved. Again how is WAEC sure that a paper which had a state-wide leakage was limited to only Abia State without involvement of students of other states? In this case, is singling out the students of a particular state for punishment really and honestly justified?

The truth is that WAEC was unjust to Abia state students and this their decision must be challenged by all Nigerians – parents, Parents Teachers Associations, the National Assembly, the Ministry of Education and indeed all men and women of goodwill. The era where statutory bodies set up to assist development in a particular area will be failing in their duties and riding roughshod with impunity over the people they are supposed to serve should be over.

As responsible parents, we all should support WAEC to carry out its onerous, delicate and sacred responsibility but in the same vein, we will all be failing in our sacred responsibility if we allow WAEC to toy with and destroy the academic future and destiny of our children. Today it is Abia State. If we fail as a nation to engage WAEC and hold her responsible and accountable for this her action, it surely will be another state tomorrow.

WAEC should be made to review this Abia State case and take remedial actions if possible but even where not possible it will make them to be more careful in carrying out their assignment in future.

This case no doubt falls on the door step of Abia State and the South East. They are expected to investigate this incident independently and lead the engagement of WAEC in this case if found true. Indeed, Abia State and Nigerian parents expect the Abia State House of Assembly to discuss this very development on the floor of their house and engage the relevant stakeholders with a view to preventing a repeat. The National Assembly is also expected as the defender of the people, especially our hapless youths who are the future of our country. They should table this on the floor of both houses, investigate, discuss this and engage WAEC on this issue in particular and her recurring examination leakages in general. Of course the South East members especially those from Abia state who are primarily affected must be in the lead. To this end, history beckons on Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Rt Honourable Nkiruka Onyejiocha and their colleagues to stand up for these hapless children and indeed Nigerian children and parents to save them from the recurring agony and canker worm of paper leakages from WAEC and the unsavoury repercussions . The time to act is NOW.

•Dr Chidi Esike, inventor of the world renowned Esike’s Technique, is an Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.