By Ayobami Okerinde
The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has welcomed the Federal Government’s suspension of the proposed increase in examination registration fees for the 2027 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination, describing the decision as “a victory for the Nigerian people”.
Obi, in a post on his X handle on Monday, commended the government for responding to widespread public opposition to the proposed fee hike but argued that the policy should never have been introduced in the first place given the country’s economic hardship.
“I received the welcome news of the suspension of the newly introduced examination fees with relief. This is a victory for the Nigerian people,” he wrote.
“While I commend the authorities for listening to the widespread public outcry and suspending the policy, it must be said that the fee was an unnecessary burden that should never have been introduced at this time of great hardship, when we should be doing everything possible to invest in basic education and reduce the millions of out-of-school children in Nigeria.”
