FG makes clarification on school closure and forthcoming WASSCE

The Minister of State for Education Mr Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba has made clarification regarding the decision of the federal government not to re-open its 104 Unity Schools across the country for the forthcoming West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination.

Nwajiuba disclosed that Malam Adamu Adamu,the Minister of Education who said Nigerian schools should not resume for the examination planned to hold from 4th August, 2020 to 5th September 2020 was in sync with the position of the PTF on reopening of schools. Stressing that it is not binding on the state governments.

He was quoted as saying:

Malam Adamu disclosed that the 104 schools are not available, the governors are not controlled by him.

It will not be constitutional for anybody to utter a comment that he can decide for the governors on what to do. You have always heard from the PTF chairman that we should try to adhere to what we do with the governors in there forum.

He was only given what you have just received which was the timetable as released by WAEC, and urged them that this time from now till when the exams will starts. But if anybody who wanted to use the schools must follow this type of criteria and that the Ministry of Education will issue those criteria.

The PTF never disclosed that they were re-opening schools. They only provided the instructions.

After FEC meeting on Wednesday, the minister, Malam Adamu Adamu, urged the general public that according to the information that the PTF and Nigeria Centre for Disease Control have given, the Unity 104 schools out of 19, 129 WAEC examination centres, that he will not accept to reopen the schools.

In fact, he further advised the public that we do not open those for use by WAEC and that it was not right for WAEC to fix those dates; he clarifies.