The Islamic human rights group, Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, has called on the West African Examinations Council, WAEC, and the Joint Admissions Matriculations Board, JAMB, to urgently rework their timetables to correct the clash of the days of the examinations of the two bodies.
The group said candidates had been bitterly complaining that the JAMB examination would hold on the same day they had to sit for some WAEC subjects.
In a statement issued by the director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola, on Thursday, the group said the two bodies should review their timetable so that they would not affect their future.
The statement reads in part: “We call on both WAEC and JAMB to quickly synergise. Some WAEC subjects will be taken on a day that a crucial JAMB paper will also be examined. For instance, WAEC students who are expected to write Animal Husbandry next week by 9 am on Thursday, 11th April, 2019 are also being expected to sit for their JAMB paper on the same day and at the same time. This is impossible unless the candidates are miracle workers.
“The future of our young ones is very important to us regardless of their religious background. Any candidate who misses a JAMB paper will have to wait for a whole year before having another opportunity. With what is happening in the society nowadays, it is not advisable to allow these youths to remain idle for twelve good months. An idle hand is the devil’s workshop.
“We are certain that all these occurred inadvertently. Both JAMB and WAEC are reliable examination bodies and we do not doubt them. JAMB in particular has witnessed unparalleled reengineering under its quintessential and indefatigable registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede. Our appeal is that both examination bodies should go back to the drawing board and work it out together in the interest of these young and innocent candidates and their parents. There is no time to lose.
“Finally, MURIC commends the transparency and professionalism of the two examination bodies. We salute their staff for the sacrifices made annually. Our plea is for a review of the imminent clash in the crucial examinations before they are due next week.”
