Allegations of fake WAEC (West African Examinations Council) results have thrown the re-ordered Preliminary Test Session (PTS) examinations for nursing students in Abia State into disarray. Students who were reportedly barred from participating in the exams due to alleged fake results have contested their disqualification, leading to a confrontational situation during the exam proceedings.
Dr. Ngozi Okoronkwo, the Commissioner for Health in Abia State, asserted that only candidates with verified and authentic O’Level results were eligible to partake in the initial day of the examinations, which kicked off on Monday. The fresh examination took place at a prominent CBT (Computer-Based Test) center in Umuahia and was nearly marred by protests from uniform-clad nursing students protesting their exclusion from the test.
Among the dissenting voices were some of the 75 “successful” students, particularly from Amachara School of Nursing, whose results were canceled. The affected students claimed that they were unjustly prevented from taking the exams by the organizers, who questioned the authenticity of the WAEC results they had presented. However, the students maintained that their results were genuine. Some students also cited the late notice regarding the requirement to present original WAEC results, which they received only hours before the re-sit examination.
Adding fuel to the fire, some nursing students alleged that they had submitted their O’Level results even before receiving preliminary admissions to study nursing. Dr. Ngozi Okoronkwo countered these allegations, stating that stringent measures were implemented to ensure the transparent conduct of the exercise. The Commissioner highlighted the installation of a verification process to ascertain the authenticity of the students’ WAEC results, emphasizing that those with unverified or counterfeit results were disqualified from sitting for the exam.
Furthermore, Okoronkwo detailed the transparency measures employed, including the immediate release of students’ results after completion of the exam. Successful candidates were required to sign their results before leaving the exam center to mitigate any potential claims of result manipulation. The examinations are slated to continue until Thursday, as announced by the Abia State Ministry of Health.
The controversy surrounding the alleged fake WAEC results and the subsequent exclusion of nursing students from the exams has spotlighted the need for transparent and fair conduct in academic assessments. As the examinations progress, the fallout from these allegations underscores the importance of upholding the integrity and authenticity of academic credentials in Nigeria’s educational system.
