FG Signs Date For WAEC Commencement

The Federal Government, yesterday, said the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASCE) would hold from August 4 through September 5, 2020.

Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, who made the announcement at the briefing of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 in Abuja, said arrangement would be made for those wishing to attend revision classes.

He submitted that the country had over 19,000 centres for the test, adding that at the conclusion of the WAEC examination, those of NABTEB and NECO would follow.

In the meantime, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has unveiled a new guideline for conducting elections in this crisis period.

Its Director General, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, appealed to politicians to take responsibility and lead by example.

He pleaded with them to prioritise the lives of the electorate.
Also, the PTF yesterday acknowledged that the rising infections among people in authority were affecting governance and the security situation.

The taskforce’s chairman and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, said the pervasive global and domestic cases and deaths were indicative of the potency of the virus, vowing that the current administration would not slow down its response and compromise.

He stated that Nigeria must continue to learn from history by avoiding the mistakes of 1918.

“As we ease restrictions in more sectors, including those with potentials for large gatherings and/or interactions between groups of people, we are conscious of the fact that this could be misinterpreted to mean that the war against COVID 19 is over. Nigerians should remain vigilant, and this call is underscored by global and national developments in the last one week, especially throughout the weekend,” Mustapha cautioned.

The SGF said capacity and opportunities for testing had been expanded, with the opening of 40 laboratories and creation of more testing centres, including some certified private sector medical facilities.