The Katsina State Government has called for the cancellation of the English Language paper recently administered by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), citing significant delays in the conduct of the examination.
The appeal follows a nationwide disruption on Wednesday that caused the exam to start several hours later than scheduled.
The state’s position was made public on Saturday by the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Zainab Musa-Musawa, during her visit to the WAEC office in Katsina.
According to Musa-Musawa, the ministry submitted a formal petition signed by the Permanent Secretary, Ummukhair Ahmed, outlining the adverse conditions under which students were forced to write the exam.
She explained that some candidates had to take the test late into the night, relying on torchlights, mobile phone flashlights, and security lights due to the lack of electricity.
WAEC has attributed the delay to increased security measures aimed at preventing examination malpractice and curbing question paper leaks.
Musa-Musawa urged parents, schools, and local communities to remain calm and await WAEC’s response to the petition.