18-year-old emerges best candidate in WAEC with 9 distinctions

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.