250 IDPs sit for WAEC exams in Maidugur

By Sadiq Abubakar Maiduguri

Following Governor Kashim Shettima’s directive, 250 Internally Displaced Persons are writing ongoing West African Examinations Council’s examination.

It is the fi rst time IDPs are writing the WAEC since they were forced out of their homes by Boko Haram insurgents at diff erent times in 2014. Th e IDPs, made up of 94 female and 156 male students, were among hundreds of students whose schools and communities were attacked by Boko Haram resulting in their displacement.

Th e 250 IDP’S are mostly from Kukawa, Gwoza, Ngala, Bama, Monguno, Guzamala and Nganzai local government areas. Th e students wrote practicals yesterday at three WAEC centres of Government College, Government Girls College and Mustapha Umar Elkanemi Arabic Teachers College all in Maiduguri.

Th e chairman, Borno state Emergency Management Agency, Engineer Ahmed Satomi, who monitored the IDPs’ participation at three centres , disclosed that the 250 IDP’S were those who passed a special mock exam conducted for about 1,000 IDPs, who were in fi nal year in secondary schools before they were displaced.

Th e chairman said the mock exam was meant to evaluate the IDPs that were able to catch up after undergoing classes and comprehensive tutorials organised for them in camps.

He explained that the IDPs were fi rst evaluated and enrolled into four senior secondary schools of Government Secondary School, Jajeri, Govt Girls Second School, Yerwa, Govt College, Maiduguri and Government Girls College Maiduguri. “Governor Kashim Shettima released funds to the Borno state Emergency Management Agency which we used for payment of WAEC fees for the candidates. “As you know, in Borno, the state government pays for WAEC, but parents pay a counterpart of N6,500 to show commitment. So, what SEMA paid was the counterpart since the government had already paid for all WAEC students across Borno state.

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