Ex-students Protest Non-payment Of NECO Registration Fee by Nasarawa Govt

By Michael David, Lafia

Past students from different secondary

schools in Nasarawa State on Wednesday, October 14, 2015, protested the inability of the state government to pay their NECO registration fees as promised thereby leading to non-release of their results.

The students, who gathered in their hundreds and matched to the Nasarawa State House of Assembly in Lafia to register their

grievances, were carrying placards with different inscriptions.

Daily Independent gathered that the protesters were carrying

placards with inscription: “Do not play with our future, we

cannot get admission without our NECO,” “Pay our registration,” among

others.

Some of the students said that the state government has failed to pay NECO registration to final year students of public

schools as part of its free education policy.

They therefore, called on the members of the assembly to intervene and

Ask the state government to pay the NECO registration fee to enable

them access their results.

Sani Abbas, one of the protesters, said that the NECO results of

public schools in the state were withheld because of the failure of

the state government to pay their registration.

According to him, “most of them were shortlisted for admission into

different tertiary institutions across the country, but could not claim it

because “there is no result.”

Also, Okoba Christopher said that the state government was not fair to them

considering the consequences of their actions on the future of the students.

Also, Aliwu Salisu-Osuga expressed sadness over the action of the

state government, saying, NECO was the only examination he sat for.

Reacting, Usman Sani-Umar, the permanent secretary (PS) of

the state Ministry of Education, Science and Technology said that the government was on top the issue.

He called on the students to remain calm and not to worry as the government had already taken steps to address the issue.

The PS said that the government had cleared the issue last week but the problem still lingers because of the policy of single account by

the federal government.