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CONCERNED NIGERIAN, OLATUNDE ALEJO RAISES ALARM AS WAEC CANDIDATES WRITE EXAMS WITH TORCHLIGHTS
These Are Our Children, Not Just Candidates
By Engr. Olatunde Alejo (Osumare)
I was unable to sleep last night, not due to politics or work, but rather the distressing information I received and the ensuing emotions.
Parents were calling, mothers were crying, fathers were pacing outside examination centers, and children were returning home from WAEC exams as late as 10:30 pm, even 11:00 pm, exhausted, hungry, and frightened. Some had left home before dawn for WAEC exams at 6:30 am and concluded the day at night.
Writing WAEC at night with the aide of torchlights had been reported in Delta and Taraba states as well as other parts of the country.
This situation is unacceptable.
We cannot pretend that this is normal, and we cannot continue to act as though children writing exams in the dark, walking through unsafe streets, or waiting hours for transportation home is merely part of the system. It is not.
We are discussing boys and girls, some 15, some 16, being pushed to their mental and physical limits in the name of education.
In a country where daylight does not always guarantee safety, we are asking our children to navigate nightfall, fatigue, and fear, simply to write their English Language exams.
What exactly are we doing?
As a father, a leader, a citizen, and most importantly, a human being, this situation is deeply troubling to me.
It is not merely about exams; it is about the message we are conveying to these children.
We are telling them, “Your safety does not matter.”
We are telling them to endure, survive, and push through, implying that no one is coming to their aid.
This is not the Nigeria I believe in, and it is not the Nigeria I desire to leave behind.
We must pose the difficult questions: Why are national exams conflicting? Why are WAEC papers being written at night? Why are our children, who should be resting at home, still stranded hours after the final bell?
We must cease managing a flawed system and initiate corrective measures.
WAEC and JAMB must collaborate, rather than conflicting. We require proper scheduling, transportation coordination, and most importantly, empathy. Behind every “candidate” is a child, someone’s child, who deserves better treatment.
– To every student who wrote under those challenging conditions:
I acknowledge you, I am proud of you, and I offer my sincerest apologies for the hardships you endured.
– To parents:
Your concerns are valid, and your voices must be heard. Do not cease speaking out.
To those in authority:
This is your call to action. We are not demanding perfection; we are asking for care, structure, and responsibility.
Let us never again permit our children to feel unsafe while pursuing their dreams.
Because if we fail them now, we risk losing everything in the future.
Engr. Olatunde Alejo (Osumare)
AkureLand, Ondo State.
A father. A concerned Nigerian. A believer in tomorrow’s leaders.
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