70 percent of candidates fail WAEC exams

Over 70 per cent of the candidates who sat for the 2009 November/December West African Examinations Council (WAEC) examinations failed both English and Mathematics, WAEC announced in Lagos yesterday.

For about five years now candidates have been recording mass failure in WAEC's May/June and November/December diets. Just in the last May/June diet over one million candidates failed the examinations. Announcing the results of the 2009 November/December examinations in Lagos yesterday, the Head of National Office of WAEC Dr. Iyi Uwadiae said out of the 342,443 candidates who sat for the examinations, only 106,413, representing 31 per cent, obtained credits in English Language, Mathematics and at least three other subjects.

According to Dr. Uwadiae, over 70 per cent of the candidates only managed to pass between two and six subjects at credit level but without both English and Mathematics or without either of the two subjects. He said the results of 57,792 candidates, representing 16.87 per cent, were still being withheld based on various reports of their alleged involvement in examination malpractice.

The WAEC head said all reports on cases of involvement in examination malpractice were being compiled for presentation to the Nigeria Examinations Committee of WAEC which is going to act on it in February.

"Out of the total number of candidates who sat the examination, however, 106, 413 candidates, representing (31.0%) obtained credits in both English and Mathematics and at least three other subjects.

"Similarly, statistics show that 265,335 candidates representing 77.48 % have two credits and above; 230, 351 candidates (67.2%) have three credits and above; and 192, 806 candidates (56.30%) have four credits and above. The results of 57,792 candidates, representing 16.87 % are being withheld based on various reports of their alleged involvement in examination malpractice", he said.

He reiterated the council's policy of zero tolerance for examination malpractice, saying WAEC would continue to withhold results of those found guilty of malpractice in any of its exams. He blamed the poor performance of students in public examinations on parents, saying they had continuously failed to monitor their children's performances at school.

Daily Trust

Kidnapped doctor's wife rescued after a shoot out

The wife of the medical doctor attached to Oleh General Hospital, Mrs.Efe Aluta has been rescued after a fierce gun battle between the kidnappers and Joint Task Force (JTF).

Vanguard gathered that she was rescued by the soldiers attached to the JTF on Wednesday night at Kiagbodo.

It was not however ascertained if the N20m demanded by the kidnappers were paid or not.

State police command spokesman, Mr. Charles Muka when contacted confirmed the story but declined to give details.

Meanwhile the State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan had disclosed that kidnappers now recruit drivers, stewards, cooks and family members into the exercise.

Speaking while receiving reports from the committee set-up to look into the handover of schools in the state to their former owners on Wednesday, Uduaghan said some of those who allegedly kidnapped (doctor's wife) Barrister Mariam Aluta, the daughter-in-law of the Chairman of the State Post Primary Education Board have been arrested.

"I want to assure you that kidnapping is being checked in the state. We have mapped out strong strategy to check the incident and it is reducing."

He said security operatives were still on the trail of the remaining suspects and promised to ensure that they were apprehended in no distant future.

The governor who said victims would always be discouraged from paying ransom said even when ransom has been paid security operatives will still trail and arrest the criminals.

Dr. Uduaghan said his administration has adopted strong strategy that will check kidnap incident in the state and changed Deltans to be vigilant.

He explained that it was as a result of the stringent measures put in place by the police and other security operatives that reduced the rate of kidnapping in the state.

Vanguard

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Nigeria to put Air Marshals on US bound flights

Nigeria said it will soon deploy air marshals on its flights to the United States to increase security after the foiled Christmas day attack on a U.S. airliner by a Nigerian man, Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab. 

Nigerian Aviation Minister Babatunde Omotoba told reporters Wednesday that the United States approached Nigeria about putting air marshals on its U.S.-bound flights.

Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority Director Harold Demuren said the decision demonstrates Nigeria’s commitment to aviation security. 

“Definitely we believe that this is a demonstration that our country is completely committed to aviation security,” he said.

Since the Christmas day foiled attack on a U.S. airliner bound for the city of Detroit, the United States has moved to place Nigeria on a security watch list and invoked extra screening for passengers from Nigeria to the United States.

Demuren said the Nigerian government has made known its displeasure with the new U.S. restrictions.

“We are not happy that we are listed. We are very dissatisfied about this and we have made it very clear.  We hope that this will be revisited very quickly,” Demuren said.

He said since the attempted airline bombing of a U.S.-bound airliner by Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab, Nigeria has taken additional measures to enhance aviation security.

“We have had 100 percent examination at our airports, we are introducing three-D full-body scanners, we are doing second screening of all hand luggage, we have met all ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) security directives,” he said.

Demuren said Nigeria has also passed U.S. Transportation Security Administration audit twice for Lagos and Abuja airports.

He said the request to put air marshals on U.S.-bound flights came from the Obama administration and Nigeria consented.

Demuren said Nigeria will ask the United States to help train air marshals.

VOA

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