BORNO PARENTS, STUDENTS WORRIED OVER INABILITY OF GOVERNMENT TO PAY2017 WAEC/NECO FEES
Parents of students and candidates who went through Public Secondary Schools in Borno state are now in dilemma over the future of their children's education, because their 2017 West African Examination Council (WAEC)/ National Examinations Council (NECO) results have not been released due to the failure of the State Government to settle the examinations fees.
A parent, Mallam Yakubu Ali Ibrahim who spoke to our Correspondent in Maiduguri on Wednesday said " I am worried over the failure of government to pay WAEC fees that led to the withholding of the results of my son who sat for the 2017 Examinations, while those who went through private schools and paid their fees have since obtained their results.
"This development has denied my Son from fulfilling his ambition of going to the University this year, because even if the fees are settled today, he cannot meet up the dateline of the ongoing registration and UTME JAMB screening exercise.
"It is a known fact that, the state governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima is passionate over the educational development and I am appealing to him to direct the Ministry of Education to settle the fees without further delay so that our wards can have peace of mind". Mallam Ibrahim said.
Mallam Ibrahim said so many parents are running from pillar to post to see if the Ministry of Education can settle the fees on time and save the affected Candidates from psychological trauma they are undergoing. But it appears the Commissioner in charge of Education, Hon. Musa Inuwa Kubo is not prepared to do the needful.
Another Parent from Chibok Local Government Area, Mr. Chiroma Apogu Dali, who resides in Maiduguri said, one of his daughter was among the victims having sat for the 2017 WAEC in one of the State Government Owned Secondary Schools.
Dali said, "most states have paid 2017 WAEC and NECO fees for their candidates, and the candidates are busy doing their post UTME registrations across Nigerian Universities, but in while Borno, the story was different".
All effort to get confirmation from the Commissioner of Education, Musa Inusa Kubo proved abortive, as he was not in office at the time our Correspondent visited, and all his GSM lines were switched off at press time.
It would be recalled that the state government had been settling the WAEC/NECO fees on time, but this year seem to be different.