PAMELA EBOH
All over the world, examination is cut as a crucial test for the assessment of knowledge. Not just for academic pursuit, but, a means for acquiring jobs like, teaching, nursing, legal Practice, accounting, military, among others.
The question is, does examinations in Nigeria have the excellent standard that obtains in other climes?
According to expert opinion, Nigeria education system over the years have become somewhat of a mockery, a glorified means of certification. Not with the aiding and abetting that has eaten deep into the fabric of the society and systemic failure arising thereof. In other words, it has literarily become a trade for the highest bidder in all fronts.
The depth of decay cuts across the family, students, teachers and the institutions. Notably, in this ‘Gen Z’ era of graduating from the University before the age of 20, most parents see passing of WAEC, NECO, JAMB, etc, at first sitting as crucial, hence, they deploy all their arsenal to ensure it comes to fruition.
This hitherto have birthed the financial mad rush to “settle” both external and local invigilators coming to conduct the examination.
A typical example is, during the conduct of one national exam, NECO precisely, a woman whose husband abandoned her with five children approached this reporter to seek financial support for her son that was writing the exam.
She said, “Pls I’m in dire need of help. My son, Udochukwu is taking final exams and he said they “settle” the invigilator to be able to take phone, jots, etc into the exam hall. I’ve been managing to give him from my salon, but right now, I’m short of money, and they have Mathematics tomorrow morning. Pls do help bail me out. He said its two thousand Naira.”
Just like this woman, a lot of other women who are either without their husbands or widows face this challenge of striving to get money to give to their children to be able to contribute with other students in class to be able to participate in the examination malpractice collaboration
In the course of a secret investigation to unearth the decay in the educational system, this reporter disguised as a teacher and registered to be part of an invigilation process that lasted over three weeks.
While this investigation wa going on, it was observed that one third of the persons that came for the Supervisory job were not teachers by profession, even though the invigilation job is mostly carved out for those in the teaching profession.
Also, out of the number that was selected, ninety five percent, including the teachers paid either a third party or directly to secure a slot in the invigilation exercise. It was discovered that people paid between forty to fifty thousand Naira to participate in the National Examination Council examination process as supervisors and paid more than a hundred thousand Naira for the West African Examination Council (WAEC) examination Supervisory slot.
Findings showed that people pay higher for WAEC because the income generated from the exercise is higher, up to one million naira, while that of NECO is less. The reason is not far fetched, WAEC is regarded as a more honoured certificate than NECO. As a matter of fact, students opt for NECO exam as a second option in cases where a subject is missed in WAEC.
According to one Onitsha based Supervisor, WAEC examination is the ‘biggest deal’. She said that because of the student’s quest to make their papers without having to return a year later, they are always ready to pay Supervisors to be able to have their way with cheating during the examinations.
She said, “It’s a stressful exercise but the money makes it worthwhile. I made over a million last year, (2023). In the course of the exam, I will return home and put the money I made under my bed. I employed that strategy because I wanted to know how much it was worth, after paying good money to get the slot.”
Though the examination councils pay supervisors a stipend of less than fifty thousand Naira at the end of the exercise, the Supervisors make the bigger chunk of money mostly in the field, hence the mad hustle to be posted to good schools especially the ones that are largely populated.
So, among the supervisors, the slang is, “the bigger the better but not for mission schools.”
How The Monies are made;
The supervisors who assemble at the Custodian point as early as 7:00am to 8.00am are called one after the other to collect question papers tagged to differenct schools and covered by a particular center.
Meanwhile, the Custodians who are staff members of NECO aid the Supervisors in the cash trade by assigning schools that pay well or have bigger number of students to those that are either close to them or brings to them big returns, while those with less returns or nothing at all are given schools that either don’t pay well or doesn’t pay at all.
For instance, a school located in Mgbakwu area of Awka South Local Government Area (name witheld) known for paying supervisors more than a hundred thousand Naira for each core subjects like English language, Mathematics, etc is a hot bed for supervisors as everyone angles to be posted there by the Custodian Officer. However, for the Custodians, such schools are carved specifically for the good paying supervisors. This means Supervisors that will give thirty to forty thousand Naira return for every hundred thousand Naira made in the field.
While the school authorities, mostly private schools organise the supervisors’ money which they tag ‘transport money’ by themselves, others allow the students to do the contribution among themseles under the supervision of the school’s own internal supervisor or the subject teacher.
How it Works:
In the case of private schools, the principal or the school proprietor will approach the supervisor as soon as the exams have commenced to speak to him/her concerning the money generated by the student and also hand over the cash to the Supervisor so he/she can look away and allow them cheat with their phones in other to come out with excellent results in one sitting. Its a bargain of number, the more the students, the more the cash flow. While some schools contribute five hundred naira per student, others contribute one thousand Naira.
However, in some cases, few students who trust their intelligence capacity opt not to contribute, and rather write without any aid. But again, some get stuck at some point and seek to join the popular side.
As a result of this arrangement, most students taking WAEC and NECO examinations barely read their books except for the regular class teachings. They depend exclusively on the ‘pay as you go’, which accords them the liberty of peeping their neigbour’s answer script and more so using phone or pieces of paper with jotings.
While this is going on. They either contribute the money among themselves beforehand or they do it after the arrival of the Supervising Invigilator.
Meanwhile, the external Supervisors who are sent from the headquarters to oversee the exercise are not left out of the ‘settlement envelope, as they also cash out
For instance, in the course of the exam, this reporter was posted to an all girls mission school. Shortly after settling down, an external invigilator (male), arrived and came to the exam hall while the roll call and search for students to come into the hall was going As soon as the students were settled, the school internal invigilator walked up to this reporter and said, pls hold on for us, we want to settle the external invigilator so he can leave. True to his word, the external invigilator was shortly called out by him for settlement. This resulted in the man leaving the hall immediately after taking records of the total number of students present and absent.
This particular school like few others is popular among the supervisors aa a school that pays well because of the popluation of students, hence they always angle for it, but as earlier stated, it is entirely under the purview of the Custodian officer to decide who goes where while sharing question papers for each exam.
Suffice it to say that promotional exams from secondary to university level has become a kind of trade by batter business, which has hitherto created a clog in the wheel of people who lack the way withal to go through school. Apart from the issue of paying school fees, settling of lecturers (aka, sorting) is another bigger stall, as well as paying Supervisors for the basic certificate of WAEC and NECO .
SPECIAL Centers
Some of the exam centers known as Special Centers are known specifically to run a kind of cartel for older candidates, businessmen, who may be in the need to acquire higher education or those seeking certain offers abroad.
For example, a lady who was caught cheating by this reporter cried her eyes out while pleading for pardon. According to her, the exam was her only hope of getting her papers to travel to Canada for nursing education.
Her words, “I paid Two Hundred Thousand Naira to be able to join the SS3 students in his school for the exam.I was told to sow the school uniform which I wear when I get to the school for the exams and take it off after the exams.” My brother wants me to come to come over to Canada and read Nursing. I already have my first degree from Nnamdi Azikiwe Unizik here. I didnt study science in my secondary school days, so, my friend told me about this school and i came and registered.”
As the world keeps evolving, people have embraced the fast lane to be able to meet up, educationally, financially, snd otherwise, even civil servants are not left out, hence, it is only fair to say that money, no matter the colour paves way in all educational pursuit in Nigeria.
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Unpaid ground rents: FG threatens mass C of O revocations, gives 60-day ultimatum to title owners
By AKOR SYLVESTER-Abuja
The Federal government yesterday issued a 60-day ultimatum to holders of Federal Government Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) to settle outstanding ground rents and statutory charges or face the revocation of their titles.
The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa who dropped the hint at the 29th Conference of Directors of Lands in Abuja Wednesday expressed worry that non-compliance of the title owners has already resulted in the loss of trillions in revenue for the Federal government.
Dangiwa emphasised that such losses can no longer be tolerated under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, stating that the government urgently requires the funds to support critical development initiatives.
The minister said several owners of Federal Government titled properties have failed to meet their obligations for years, depriving the government of much-needed revenue, adding that If payments were not made within 60 days, government will revoke the titles.
He further lamented the reports of residents’ associations obstructing ministry officials from carrying out billing and enforcement duties in various estates, warning that those who fail to comply with the terms of their C of O would face strict penalties.
The minister also highlighted ongoing land reforms, including a landmark partnership with the World Bank to register and title land parcels nationwide..
He used the occasion to inform that the administration is about to embark on a groundbreaking partnership between the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and the World Bank to address Nigeria’s longstanding land registration challenges.
The minister said over 90% of the land in the country remains unregistered, with an estimated $300 billion in dead capital.
According to him, the partnership aims to: Register, document, and title all land parcels within five years:
The initiative, he said, in partnership with state governments, will bring clarity and security to land ownership, unlocking its potential for development and investment.
“Develop and launch a National Digital Land Information System (NDLIS): This modern system, with technology and personnel designed to be located in all 36 states of Nigeria, will streamline land transactions, making them more efficient, transparent, and accessible. Increase the formalization of land transactions: This initiative will boost economic activity and enhance property rights protection by increasing formal land transactions from less than 10% to over 50% within a decade.
“Train and deploy technically competent land registration officers nationwide: A well-trained workforce is essential to implementing a successful land registration system.
Establish a comprehensive, accessible, and efficient land registration system leveraging advanced digital tools and technologies to unlock the dead capital in Nigeria. The initiative will involve key stakeholders, including the Federal Government, State Governments, the Federal Capital Territory, and Traditional institutions “, he said.
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