This development was confirmed in a twitter post by the examination body on Tuesday.

The statement signed by Demianus Ojijeogu, WAEC’s Head of Public Affairs, reiterated that the exams begin Monday, August 17 and will end Saturday, September 12.

It, however, warned that “The Council notes that several versions of the examination timetable have been in circulation”, but “enjoined the general public to disregard them”.

Candidates have been advised to “abide by the rules and regulations guiding the conduct of the examination, by shunning all acts of malpractice and obeying all COVID-19 protocols”.

InsideOjodu recalls that the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) had earlier rejected the 2020 WASSCE, stating that said the dates clash with Muslims’ Friday prayers.

MURIC Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, accused WAEC of creating a wedge between young Muslims and the mosque.

The body said the dates of the exam which commences on the 17th August,2020 clashes with Muslims’ Friday prayer.

Professor Ishaq Akintola, MURIC director in a statement on Monday accused WAEC of creating a fence between young Muslims and the mosque.

“There are at least three clashes between examination periods and Muslim prayers on Fridays: Management-in-Living (2 pm, Friday 14th August, 2020); Literature-in-English (2 pm, Friday 21st August); Health Science (1.30 pm, Friday, 4th September),” he noted

MURIC said the timetable is exclusive, sectional, parochial, insensitive and provocative.

It called the schedule an invitation to trouble, designed to cause pain to Muslim candidates.

“It is the handiwork of sadists and anarchists. It smirks of an anti-Muslim machinery oiled by the passion for hate and injustice. This is in spite of efforts made by us to guard against this kind of clash,” he added.

MURIC insisted that Muslim candidates must be given three hours every Friday.

Akintola added that Nigerian Muslims will emancipate themselves from slavery, serfdom and religious apartheid if government is nonchalant.

He, further, stated “Our message to WAEC is very clear and simple: Adjust your timetable and stop provoking Muslims forthwith.”

This came after the Federal Government’s pronouncement, directing students in exit classes in Nigeria to resume on Tuesday, August 4, 2020.

The state’s Commissioner for Education, Folasade Adefisayo made this announcement on Wednesday, stating that the decision is to ensure students adequately prepare for their forthcoming West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

She explained that the decision “is to allow for revision classes and adequate preparation ahead of their forthcoming West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).”

Adefisayo cited the new commencement date the West African Examination Council (WAEC) confirmed for the 2020 WASSCE.

The examination is scheduled to commence on the August 17, 2020.

The commissioner stressed that only SS3 and Technical Study Three (TEC3) students are permitted to resume.

The official enjoined all schools to follow the required public health guidelines and protocols for re-opening.

She noted that while students in SS3 and TEC 3 will sit for their examinations, the government is considering the option of using first and second term exams performance or continuous assessment to promote students in other exit classes.

Adefisayo revealed that various meetings have been held with the stakeholders in the education, health and safety sectors to ensure that adequate precautionary measures were put in place before resumption.

“The Office of Education Quality Assurance will be going round all the schools across the State to monitor the level of safety and protocol compliance expected to be put in place by both private and public schools”, she added.

Recall that the Federal Government had on Monday, 27 July said schools could reopen on August 4 so pupils could revise for two weeks in preparation for the examination which is scheduled to begin on August 17.

Lagos State Commissioner for Education Mrs Folasade Adefisayo, and the Special Adviser to the Ogun State Governor on Education, Mrs Ronke Soyombo, confirmed this to The Nation on Tuesday.

However, Ekiti Commissioner for Education Mr Foluso Daramola said SS3 pupils would resume, but that the state had not decided on whether Junior Secondary Three (JS3) pupils would also return.

“I am just coming from a meeting at the governor’s office on the issue.  We will issue a statement on it,” she said.

The Special Adviser to the Ogun State Governor on Education said schools considered to be high risk in Ogun would not be allowed to reopen, noting that such schools would be identified through their responses in an online reopening form.

In the form, schools are given the options of “risky” (coded red), “moderate” (yellow) or “none” (green) in response to questions about their readiness for resumption.

Soyombo said schools have until Friday evening to submit the form, which can be downloaded from the ministry’s website.

She said: “For schools that fill mostly red (risky) in all the fields, we will not reopen them.  We may need to do a contingency plan for their students.”

She said the state has met with stakeholders on the reopening, while risk assessment training has been conducted.

Soyombo said public schools in Ogun had been provided with water, soap and other facilities in line with the requirements for resumption.

Federal Government Colleges (unity schools) will resume on August 4 for SS3 pupils only.

Director of Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr Ben Gong, said the Presidential Task Force (PTF) would announce on Thursday whether JSS3 pupils would resume.

Also yesterday, Benue State Government approved the reopening of schools for SS3 pupils.

Commissioner for Education Prof Dennis Ityavyar, said JSS 3 pupils would also resume.

He said the government had put necessary measures in place to curtail the spread of COVID-19.

He urged parents to ensure their children wear facemasks and observe other safety precautions.

On the planned handover of missionary schools to their owners, Ityavyar said a committee headed by the Secretary to the Government, Prof Anthony Ijohor, had been set up to make recommendations within a week.

The Head of National Office (HNO) of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Mr Patrick Areghan, disclosed this on Tuesday at a press briefing in Lagos.

Seemingly, the body warned that inadequate preparation would not be an excuse for examination malpractice, noting that the examination slated to hold from August 3 to September 5, would be conducted from Monday to Saturday.

Insideojodu had earlier reported that the Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, said on Monday that school facilities would be made available for revision classes ahead of the examination.

“Schools must provide wash-hand buckets with running water, soaps, hand sanitizers and thermometer hand-gun to check the temperature of all concerned.

“All examination functionaries, including the Council’s staff on distribution; Supervisors; Invigilators, Inspectors; candidates and school officials will be required to wear face masks, wash and sanitize their hands daily and throughout the duration of the examination.

“Let me assure you and the general public that we shall adhere strictly to social/physical distancing in the examination halls by making sure that candidates sit two (2) metres apart.

“This means that many more classrooms will be used and many more supervisors and invigilators required to conduct the examination.

“This has raised the need for the provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to staff, supervisors and other examination officials,” he said.

The Head of Public Affairs, WAEC, Mr. Demianus Ojijeogu revealed this while speaking in a Nigerian NewsDirect in an interview on Sunday.

According to the West Africa exam body has not released time table for its May/June 2020 exams either through the online or print platform.

Speaking on why the time table can’t be released now, Ojijeogu stressed that the COVID-19 pandemic has extended period to write the exams, adding that schools are yet to reopen and the ban on interstate traveling is still in  place.

“The WAEC time table has not been released. We cannot do that because there is still ban on interstate traveling and the schools have not been reopened.

“In as much as the WAEC bodies are ready to conduct exams, we can’t until all these things are done,” Ojijeogu explained.

Meanwhile, he further urged the students to ease their worries on their eagerness for when to write the examination, stating that “ I know there will be guidelines of release by the federal government through the minister of education, minister of health or Nigeria Center for Disease Control, NCDC,  that will guide the conduct of the exam.”

Also speaking in a  press release, the Head Nation Office, WAEC, Nigeria, Patrick Ehidiamen explained that WAEC in Nigeria, the West African sub-region, has decided to put an hold the conduct of West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates 2020, earlier scheduled to commence on April 6, 2020.

“This is as a result of the impact of the novel and deadly coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) and the serious implications it has for the conduct of the WASSCE for school candidates, 2020, coupled with the anxieties it has generated among the populace.

“This decision is a demonstration of the organisation’s concern in support for the various protocols being put in place by the federal and state government of Nigeria and the government of the other member countries to check the spread of the disease.

“Consequently, the earlier released Timetable for the conduct of the examination is hereby suspended until further notice.

“We wish to assure all candidates, schools presenting candidates for the examination, all stakeholders, and indeed, the general public that this decision will be reviewed once the health situation improves.

“We enjoin all school principals presenting candidates for the examination to please inform their candidates accordingly. A new date for the commencement of the examination will be communicated to schools and all stakeholders in due course,” he said.