IPOB or No IPOB, WASSCE Exams Must Hold – Abia State Govt Warns

The Abia State Government has issued a caution to any person in the state intending to harm any student participating in the 2021 West African School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) who would come out to write the exams by defying the sit at home order by the IPOB.

WASSCE students are set to write their English exams today amidst the sit at home order by the IPOB and this has created rumours to circulate that the students would be attacked.

In reaction to the news, the Abia State Government has issued a statement that the WASSCE students should be allowed to write the exams without any intimation.

The statement reads, “Our attention has been drawn to the lingering sit-at-home reportedly endorsed and illegally enforced by a group of hoodlums hiding under the identity of agitators in the southeast region to cause chaos in the State and we wish to state categorically that it is unacceptable to allow any individual or group to instil fear in our people to the extent of negatively impacting the education of our innocent school children who are billed to write the compulsory English examination of the West African School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) on Monday, 13th September and Tuesday, 14th September, and on the rights of other law abiding citizens.

“While we do not begrudge any citizen the right to sit at home or go about their normal duties, as long as it does not infringe on the rights of others, we cannot afford to sit idly and watch the future of our children jeopardized and the economic well-being of our people further wrecked over a matter we believe can be resolved judicially or through political negotiations.

“In the light of the above, government wishes to advice parents to ensure that their children go to the examination centers for their papers while teachers and examination supervisors are to ensure the protection of the children before, during and after the examinations.

“Other citizens are also to go about their normal duties without fear of molestation as necessary measures have been put in place to protect them.

“The leaders of all market and transport unions in the state are hereby advised to ensure that markets are open and transport vehicles deployed by their members for regular activities on Monday and beyond unless otherwise advised by Government. Any market that is closed or transport union that fails to operate will be closed and disbanded, respectively, by government till further notice