26th August, 2015
PRESS
RELEASE:
WAEC EXAMINATION TIMETABLE IS AN
INVITATION TO CHAOS
The
timetable of the November/December General Certificate Examination (GCE) of the
West African Examinations Council (WAEC) which is expected to begin next week
shows that some of the subjects will be taken between 1 pm and 3 pm on Fridays.
The implication of this is
that Muslim candidates are likely to miss some of their papers unless they
choose to skip the Jum’ah services on those days. This is tantamount
to denial of Allah-given fundamental rights of those candidates. It is a
flagrant breach of Section 38 (i) & (ii) of the 1999 Constitution of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The Muslim Rights Concern
(MURIC) rejects this anti-Muslim timetable released by WAEC. It is malicious,
baseless, illegal, and unconstitutional. It is also most insensitive, parochial
and provocative. This timetable is designed to cause chaos.
We invite the Nigerian
authorities to visit WAEC’s website (registration.waecdirect.org) and click on
the timetable link to confirm our allegation. WAEC has fixed its examinations
between 1 pm and 3 pm of every Friday from 11th September to 2nd
October as shown below:
1.
Friday 11th September, 2015:
Forestry 2 (Essay) 13hrs to 15 hrs
2.
Friday 18th September 2015:
Government2 (Essay) 13 hrs to 15 hrs
3.
Friday 25th September, 2015:
Further Mathematics 14 hrs to 15.30 hrs
4.
Friday 2nd October, 2015:
Applied Electricity2 13 hrs to 14 hrs
5.
Friday 2nd October, 2015:
Applied Electricity1 14 hrs to 15 hrs
We remind WAEC that Jum’ah
service every Friday is not a design of homo sapien. It has divine and
scriptural basis in Qur’an 62:9-11.
Any attempt therefore to
circumspect it by any means constitutes a challenge to divine authority. This
is bound to be counter-productive with its dire consequences for our country
particularly at this crucial period when Nigeria needs prayers to survive.
We assert that WAEC’s
sectional timetable is not likely to affect candidates alone as all service
providers who happen to be Muslims are bound to be affected. We wonder why no
examination subjects were fixed for Sundays if indeed WAEC is under any stress
for time. This development has again underlined the justification
for Muslims’ agitation for a workfree Friday.
It further exposes the
social imbalance in the Nigerian system today. Everything is in favour of
Christians because the colonial master was a Christian and he bequeathed a
legacy of a pro-Christian and anti-Muslim culture to Nigerians on the eve of
his departure in 1960. Justice demands that this system should have been
reviewed long ago, at least to integrate Nigerian Muslims and give them a sense
of belonging.
MURIC charges the Federal
Government (FG) to do the needful. Nigerian Muslims have become endangered
species hounded from pillar to post. There is no freedom of worship for them.
Their rights are violated at will and nobody says or does anything about it.
Muslim victims are called names and stereotyped when they try to resist. All
these must stop if indeed we are serious about the change mantra.
FG should call WAEC to
order. By the way, what is the role of the Federal Ministry of Education in
matters such as this? Is it not expected to protect candidates from this kind
of abuse? Didn’t the ministry have any input into WAEC’s timetable? Or did
somebody somewhere fail to perform his/her duty?
We appeal to members of
the National Assembly (NASS) to wade into the matter. WAEC must be invited to explain
the raison d’etre for this Islam-bashing timetable. NASS is the voice of the
voiceless and it should stand up to be counted on a matter which is capable of
causing social pandemonium.
MURIC is a dialogue-loving
human rights organization. Therefore we will not issue threats. It is hoped
that FG and indeed WAEC will take this statement as an offer of dialogue.
MURIC will not be held
responsible if aggrieved candidates, their parents and sympathizers hold
peaceful protests in WAEC offices should WAEC go ahead with this abominable,
archaic and contemptuous timetable which is designed to compel Muslim
candidates to sit for examination during Jum’ah service.
MURIC will not stand
akimbo while Nigerian Muslims are being humiliated and treated with contempt. We
are all equal partners in the Nigerian project and we will employ every available
constitutional means to resist the intimidation of Muslims in this country.
Unless it is a deliberate
assault on the collective body of the Nigerian Muslim Ummah, WAEC is seriously
advised to review the timetable before the commencement of examinations. A stitch
in time saves nine.
In the meantime MURIC
appeals to Muslims nationwide to eschew violence, to remain law abiding and to
patiently await FG’s reaction to this highly combustible issue.
Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
my dear ustaz.
ReplyDeletesalam alaykum.
I read through you publication and wish to make clarifications. the waec timetable on the website is from WAEC headquarters, Accra Ghana. The time is stated in GMT to ensure uniformity for all country concerned. You need to convert to local times. Forestry is not taken in Nigeria, so we are not concerned. if you convert to Nigerian time, Government will start by 2pm, Further maths 2 starts by 3pm and applied electricity by 2pm.
WAEC Nigeria already released a time table adapted for Nigeria time.
Afternoon papers on Friday usually start by 2pm from time immemorial. if we desire it should be shifted to 2.30pm is another issue we can raise.
The wrong information is already circulating, we need to do something quick to avert unnecessary public upheaval.
jazakum lay khairan