Education Minister : WAEC Results For Chibok Girls Ready –

Nigeria’s education minister, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, has told the House of Representatives Committee on Education that the results of the Chibok schoolgirls who wrote the April 2014 West African Examinations Council (WAEC) exams are ready.

Shekarau made the disclosure yesterday at a stakeholders meeting organised by the House Committee on Education, over the federal government’s directive to schools to resume on September 22, against the October 12 date given in consideration of the Ebola Virus Disease in the country.

According to Leadership, the minister said the results were being reviewed by the education ministry, because of the “haphazard” nature of the situation caused by Boko Haram’s abduction of some of the schoolgirls.

“By 1pm today (Monday), the president has scheduled a meeting, which I am attending, specifically to address some of the issues of girls’ education in that troubled zone (Nigeria’s North East). In fact, this morning, I got a communication from West African Examinations Council. The result of the Chibok Secondary School is out.

We (the ministry) have to look at it (the results) vis-a-vis the security situation and implication, before the formal release. It is right now in my possession, because when the abduction took place, some remained, completed their exams. Some were taking exam and they were abducted. So, the result is haphazard. So we are addressing that this afternoon.  

This is just for the information of the honourable members. It is also a matter of great concern to us. I am sure by 1pm, four, five of us will be sitting with Mr President to address this issue,” he said.

In April, the abduction by the Boko Haram sect of more than 200 girls from the Government Secondary School in the town of Chibok in Borno State sparked global outrage. #BringBackOurGirls, a social media rallying cry, generated massive global attention. While some of the girls managed to escape after being abducted from their school, the majority are still being held.

In July, President Goodluck Jonathan told parents of the abducted schoolgirls that the government was doing everything possible to secure their release. The parents of 11 of the girls have died since their abduction, the Associated Press news agency reported. Boko Haram has offered to free the girls in exchange for the release of its fighters and relatives being held by the security forces.