The Kogi Government has warned the principals of 108 secondary schools involved in examination malpractice across the state to desist from cheating or face the full wrath of the law.
Mrs Rosemary Osikoya, Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology in the state gave the warning at a meeting with principals of affected schools on Friday in Lokoja.
According to her, stiff penalties as prescribed by law will be used to curb the menace of examination malpractice in the state.
She said the 108 schools, which comprise of 84 public and 24 private secondary schools were ‘seriously warned’ by West African Examination Council (WAEC) for engaging in one form of exam malpractice or the other.
Osikoya noted that 30 schools were being perpetual offenders for three consecutive years, which needed urgent attention, adding that 47 schools were recently de-recognised by WAEC due to various exam malpractices.
“We are sounding serious warning to all the affected schools to have a change of attitude.
“Let us be law abiding citizens, let us tell our people that it is no longer acceptable to engage in exam malpractice in Kogi.
“Gov. Yahaya Bello, says no to corruption, let us together raise a generation that is free of corruption, and build a great nation.
“Every parent also has a responsibility to ensure that their children do not engage in any form of exam malpractice; stop giving money to your children to bribe officials to aid exam malpractice,” the commissioner warned.
Earlier, Mr Oyeniran Akanni, Head of Exams, WAEC, said the Council had zero tolerance for exam malpractice, and would not condone any of such act, stressing that everything would be done to curtail the menace.
“We urge all stakeholders to join hands with us and stamped out this menace that has penetrated into the fabric of our education sector.
“ I charge you to go back to your various schools and do the needful”, Akanni said.
On his part, Mr Afolabi Raji, the Chairman, Teaching Service Commission (TSC), said that it was unfortunate that it was coming in a quick succession after 47 schools in the state were recently de-recognised by WAEC.
“It is a disservice to our state and we must tackle the monster. We need to seriously address the menace so that going forward, such will not happen again.
Dr Ibrahim Muftau, the State President of Nigeria Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), who spoke on behalf of the principals, promised that they would go back home and do the needful.
“We will work assiduously to sensitise our immediate environment to have a change of attitude. We pledged our loyalty to uphold the ethics of the teaching profession free of exam malpractice,” Muftau said.
Recently, 47 secondary schools in Kogi were de-recognised by WAEC, and directed to pay N250,000 each as fine, none of the indicted schools would be allowed to conduct Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations in 2018.
