Appointment of New Principals in Unity Schools and NECO’s Stance on Examination Integrity

A total of fourteen (14) directors have been appointed as new principals in some of the nation’s Unity schools, based on a memo from the Federal Ministry of Education.

The memo, dated August 3, 2023, and signed by David Gende, the Director of Human Resources at the Federal Ministry of Education, states that the 14 newly appointed principals emerged after a rigorous oral interview stage.

The memo reveals that the federal government screened a total of 37 directors who were competing to become principals of the nation’s Unity schools.

Out of the 65 directors who took the computer-based test on July 25, 2023, as a prerequisite for the appointment, 14 failed and were screened out, while 51 directors passed.

A follow-up oral interview examination was scheduled for the 51 directors who passed the CBT on Friday, July 28, 2023, at the Ministry of Education in Abuja.

The memo, released on Thursday, announces that after the oral interview, only 14 directors were appointed as principals, while the remaining 37 directors were not selected.

The memo states: “Consequent upon completion of the selection process of new principals for the Federal Unity Colleges to fill some consequential vacancies occasioned by the tenure policy introduced in 2022, I am directed to notify you of the appointment of the following officers as principals following their success in the computer-based test and oral interview.

“The principals are to undergo induction/orientation preparatory to deployment on a date to be communicated.”

In an earlier memo, the ministry explained that it was conducting the process for the selection of principals in federal unity schools to replace principals who had served for six years or more.

NECO says it would not tolerate actions that undermine the integrity of its examinations

Meanwhile, Professor Dantani Wushishi, the registrar of the National Examinations Council, NECO, has vowed that the commission will not tolerate actions that undermine the integrity of its examinations, especially exam malpractice.

The registrar made this statement while briefing journalists after touring some schools to monitor the ongoing SSCE examinations in Jos, Plateau state.

He said, “We have visited other states before coming to Plateau state and interacted with the stakeholders as well.

“From what we have found from the places we have visited, the examination is ongoing as planned. There is no major issue as far as the conduct of the examination is concerned. From our end, we have successfully delivered the materials for the exams. I can tell you that the 2023 examination is the most successful one.”

He added that the organization is taking measures to curb exam malpractice in the country by creating awareness and implementing internal monitoring systems.

He also mentioned that NECO will assess the level of involvement in malpractice by candidates, supervisors, and other staff through their Malpractice Committee.

Professor Dantani acknowledged the economic challenges faced by the nation, which have affected the number of students registering for the SSCE exams this year. He attributed the drop in registration to the inability of state governments to register more candidates due to financial constraints.

He said, “This year, we registered a total of 1,205,888 candidates, compared to last year’s 1,209,000 candidates. So, there is a slight decline in the number. This year, 621,174 male candidates were registered, while 584,814 female candidates were registered.”

He also mentioned that some states owe NECO money, but there has been a positive response from these states in addressing the issue.

The registrar visited Air Force Boys Secondary School, Jos, Kings and Queens Academy, Emmanuel International College, among others during the tour.