NECO
By Stephen Adeleye
Lokoja, July 12, 2021
The Kogi State Government has expressed its satisfaction with the conduct of the ongoing 2021 National Examination Council (NECO) Examination in the state which commenced on Monday across the nation.
The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Hon. Wemi Jones, FCIB, disclosed while speaking to journalists shortly after he led a team from the ministry to monitor the conduct of 2021 National Examination Council (NECO) on Monday in Lokoja.
Jones expressed his satisfaction with the conduct of the NECO exams in all schools visited, and commended the teachers and students for maintaining examination standards.
According to him, the essence of monitoring the exams is to be sure that the exams are conducted in an atmosphere that does not encourage cheating, and conducive for students.
”So, I can say that the schools we have visited today conformed fully with the set guidelines.
”I am very happy to say that all the schools we visited today fully complied to the rules and regulations of the exams”, he said.
The Commissioner, however warned that the State Government would not condone any form of examination malpractice under any disguise in the state.
”Examination malpractice in any form is a crime and we will not condone it in Kogi State.
”Anybody that is seen perpetrating exam malpractice or accomplice or involve in it directly is infringing on our laws, and there are relevant sections of the Kogi State Education Law 2020, that deals with such infringements.
”We are not going to allow anybody to mess up our education system in Kogi State.
”We will not take it lightly with any school, teacher or student that is seen perpetrating anomalies as far as this examination or subsequent examinations are concerned in Kogi State”, he said.
The commissioner assured that the examination monitoring would be a continuous thing across the state in order to maintain examination standards.
Also speaking to journalists, Chief Ajofe Yakubu Godwins, the Principal of Government Day Secondary School Adankolo, Lokoja, commended the Commissioner and his team for the unexpected visit to his school.
”We have started the 2021 NECO Examination in earnest and as you can see students are well prepared for it, and teachers have gone into the conduct as well; so far there are no problems”, he said.
Godwins, who doubles as the National Secretary of All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPPS), said NECO Examination was supposed to come by November but because of COVID-19 Pandemic the government decided to do it in July.
”In the context of Kogi State, we are grateful to God Almighty that we are seemingly COVID-19 free and it is our pride because His Excellency gave us the courage to fight back.
”Today, COVID-19 is not part of our execuses in Kogi and the teachers and students are very much prepared for the examination”, Godwins said.
The schools visited were: Crowdther Memorial College, Bishop Delisle College, and Government Day Secondary School, among others
The commissioner was accompanied by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Pastor Emmmanuel Idenyi; the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Science and Technology, Dr. Gabriel Ottah; and Senior Special Assistant on Vocational and Informal Education, Yetunde Nanahawa, and other directors in the ministry.
End