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The Delta State Commissioner for Secondary Education, Dr. Kingsley Ashibogwu, has reaffirmed the State Government’s unwavering commitment to restoring integrity, transparency and standardisation in the conduct of public examinations across the state.
Dr. Ashibogwu gave the assurance on Wednesday when he received officials of the National Examinations Council (NECO), led by the Delta State Coordinator, Mr. Harry Uhunamure, during a courtesy visit at the Prof. Chike Edozien Secretariat, Asaba.
The Commissioner expressed confidence that ongoing reforms in the education sector would produce measurable and sustainable results. He stressed that the Ministry is determined to ensure that only duly qualified candidates are presented for public examinations.
According to him, the Ministry is currently undertaking a rigorous verification exercise, personally supervised by him and other top officials, to screen candidates and eliminate ineligible registrations before final submissions to examination bodies.
Dr. Ashibogwu made it clear that the State Government would not permit the registration of underage or unqualified candidates for NECO and other external examinations, emphasising that strict compliance with nationally approved entry age requirements remains non-negotiable.
He lamented cases of irregular registrations uncovered during the verification process, including attempts by some school proprietors and unqualified individuals to circumvent established procedures. Such practices, he noted, undermine the credibility of the education system and will no longer be tolerated.
Reiterating the Ministry’s zero-tolerance stance on exploitation, the Commissioner condemned the extortion and overcharging of examination fees by some schools. He disclosed that the government had publicly released the approved fees for BECE, WAEC and other examinations, and had earlier issued a 72-hour ultimatum directing schools to refund any excess charges collected from students.
Dr. Ashibogwu called for strengthened collaboration with NECO, particularly at the registration stage, which he described as the foundation upon which examination integrity is built. He stressed that sanitising the system at the point of entry would significantly curb malpractice.
On teacher professionalism, the Commissioner reaffirmed the state’s commitment to enforcing the Teacher Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) certification for all teachers in both public and private schools. He described the TRCN certification as a mandatory professional licence, comparable to regulatory requirements in other established professions.
Highlighting Delta State’s academic excellence, Dr. Ashibogwu referenced the state’s impressive performances in national and international competitions, including global school debate championships, as evidence that gifted students abound in the state and only require proper identification, mentoring and support to thrive.
He assured NECO of the Ministry’s readiness to collaborate fully in implementing national reforms and strengthening examination processes to enhance credibility and public confidence.
Earlier, the NECO State Coordinator, Mr. Harry Uhunamure, commended the Delta State Government for its sustained support, noting that the Council’s operational successes in the state have been largely made possible through the Ministry’s proactive cooperation.
