18-year-old emerges best candidate in WAEC with 9 distinctions
Eighteen-year-old former student of Vaatia
College Makurdi, Benue State, Master Samuel
Nder was on Thursday, November 26, honoured as
the best candidate in the May/June West African
Senior Certificate Examination (WASSCE) taken
by over 1.7million candidates nationwide.
At a colourful award ceremony held in Akure,
Ondo state during the 53rd Annual Meeting of
Nigera National Committee (NNC) of West African
Examinations Council (WAEC), master Nder and
two other candidates were rewarded for their
performance in the May/June 2014 WASSCE.
Aside Nder who obtained 9A1s in the school exam
to emerged the best candidate, 18-year-old, Miss
Onyinye Oguejiofor formerly of Marist
Comprehensive College, Nteje, Anambra state
placed second with 9A1s while 17-year-old Master
Oluwatobi Raji formerly of St Francis Catholic
Secondary School Idimu, Lagos, recorded 9A1s in
the WASSCE.
In the May/June 2014 WASSCE, with exam number
4081345036 Master Nder recorded A1 in Economic,
Geography, English Language, Further
Mathematics, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry
and Physics with total T-score of 659.4325 while
Miss Ogueijiofor’s T-score was 648.5706 and
Master Raji had T-score 640.2125.
Currently, the best candidate is studying
Software Engineering at Saint Peterburg’s
Electro-Technical University in Russia, Miss
Onyinye is studying Medicine and Surgery at the
University of Nigeria, Nsukka and Master Raji is
studying Petroleum Engineering at the University
of Lagos.
Speaking at the award ceremony, Governot of
Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, said as a
demonstration of the state’s avowed commitment
to nation building through the apparatus of
educational development.
His words: ‘’we have always welcomed with
passion any educational programme that the
state is privileged to host. Our passion is always
borne out of the convictions that, no nation can
ever rise above the quality of her education. This
is because education is the vital organ and the
very pivot around which all national life
resolves.’’
Mimiko who was represented by the Deputy
Governor, Alhaji Abdul-Azeez Oluboyo, commended
WAEC for its unrelenting efforts in conducting
standard examinations and producing credible
results over the years.
The governor congratulated the three best schools
in the state that were honoured by the council
for their candidates performance in the May/June
2014 WASSCE and appreciated WAEC for it
investment in the future of the children.
The chairman of WAEC NNC, Mrs. Anne Okonkwo
said the awards are aimed at encouraging the
youth to strive for excellence in their academic
pursuits noting ‘’it is my hope that some of the
youth who are here today to witness this
ceremony, will be challenged by these Awards to
work harder in order to win similar laurels in
future.’’
She also disclosed that NNC would present books
to the three best schools in the May/June 2014
WASSCE from Ondo State stressing that it was in
accordance with the decision of the Nigeria Sub-
Board of the WAEC Endowment Fund Board of
Trustees at its 4th meeting held in November,
2012.
Mrs Okonkwo use the opportunity laud the federal
and other state governments for their support to
the council over the years even as she thanked
Governor Mimko for his investment in education
and the performance of schools in the state in
WASSCE.
The Head of National Office (HNO), Mr. Charles
Eguridu, disclosed that the NNC ensures that the
policies of the council in Nigeria are decided in
the best public interest, and appropriate
decisions are taken at all times, for the smooth
conduct of the WAEC’s operations.
Eguridu appreciated the support and
understanding which the state government has
continued to give to the council in its efforts to
improve service delivery to numerous stakeholders
in the state and Nigeria as a whole.
At the event, 40 WAEC staff were given long
service award for their 20 years meritoriously
service in various capacities while Governor
Mimiko described the awardees as worthy
ambassadors of the council and wished them more
years of productive service to the council and the
nation at large.
