By Alltimepost.com
Secondary School students have called for a shift in the date of the gubernatorial election in Edo State scheduled to hold on Saturday, September 10 to another date as it clashes with their Mathematics examination, scheduled by the West African Examination Council for the same day.
The students who stormed the Government House, Benin City on Monday with placards, bearing various inscriptions said holding the examination and the poll same day would disenfranchise them.
The students also said they would kick against any plan to be moved to other states for the Mathematics examination as planned by WAEC, adding that this would not only disorganize them but also put them at a disadvantage.
Spokesman for the students, Iko Emmanuel Moses said:
“with a deep sense of regret and pains, we wish to express and oppose the disturbing circumstances surrounding the above examination of this year and its effect on our expected performance in the examination.
“The plan to relocate us out of Edo State, our state to other regions to sit for the examination because of the September 10 election in Edo State as scheduled by INEC is an ill wind which will affect our chance to perform well in the examination. We have found this situation very disturbing, discouraging and we cannot take the risk.”
He continued, “Remember this that the conduciveness of an environment has a great impact on the performance and outcome of examinations for students. We enrolled for this examination in Edo State and we have prepared for the examination in Edo State environment. We are used to the environment for safety, comfort, accessibility of examination centers and psychology.
“You will agree with me that a threat to the above is a threat to us, and even the outcome of the examination. We want to humbly say that as the election is important to the nation, so is our exam important to us, and even more important to us because, without a good education, we cannot grow up to participate in the Nigerian democracy.”
This examination, he stated, is about their future, and therefore, “we will not take or accept the risk. We call on INEC to do something about this situation. We call on all the political parties concerned to do something to save our future.
“The examination has already started in Edo State and it will be dangerous to now move us out of the terrain we are already used to and compel us to write the most important ones outside the state.”
President Muhammadu Buhari should come to our aid; the Comrade Governor should also come to our aid. Our future must not be sacrificed for election, he said.
Another candidate Aliu Samson, for the election, said “Saturday will be the day I will be writing mathematics, I am more than 18 years old and I’m a Nigerian. It is my basic duty to exercise on Saturday by voting.
“Due to the security situation in the country, it will not be ideal for me to travel outside my terrain to write my examination.”
One of the parents who joined the students in the protest expressed concern over the financial commitment that would result from taking the children to other states to write their examination, including accommodation and feeding expenses.
“It will bite deep into our already lean purse. So I want to appeal to you that this should be reconsidered. We are quite aware that WAEC is a regional examination and so it cannot be shifted, we are also thinking of how the election itself is shifted so that we will have time for our children and also for them to vote.”
In his response, Governor Adams Oshiomhole said he would pass their protest letter to the President, saying the election was fixed by INEC, an independent body.
Oshiomhole said the responsibility for fixing the governorship election in the State rests on the Independent National Electoral Commission, explaining that he was not consulted when the election for September 10 was scheduled.
“There are two examinations that are due, one for the people of Edo to write exams on whom they want to be their governor, and you yourselves to write exams which will constitute the foundation of your future.
“But let me first tell you the whole truth because when I listened to you and you were appealing to me, I am touched. But I get the impression that you probably think that I am responsible for this decision. I am not.”
He told the protesters that he received a letter from WAEC two weeks ago, informing him about the examinations on September 10, with a request to grant exemption to those who are going to write the exams to be able to go to the various centers to write “because the standard law, rule, and regulation is that on election day, you are only allowed to go to your polling booth, and unfortunately, some of the polling centers where you are expected to write exams, they are also the same centers that are meant for voting.
“Some of the schools are premises for voting. Even if it was within my power, I don’t see how you can be in a room writing exams, and outside you have thousands of people making noise trying to vote.”
According to Oshiomhole, the request by WAEC was beyond his power because the decision to restrict movement is taken by INEC, and they did it in good faith.
“So, I replied to WAEC that I don’t have the power to waive the restriction order because that one is imposed by INEC in consultation with the national security chiefs because it is the security chiefs, that is, the army, the police and the SSS.”
The Governor assured them that he would channel their complaints to President Muhammadu Buhari.
“I promise you, as fast as I can, I will forward it even if it is by email to ensure that it gets to the President to the Villa today. That I can do. And I know that the President is concerned about the future of our children.”
