Nigerian Muslims under the auspices of the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN) Zone B, which covers 17 Southern Nigerian states, have kicked against the examination schedules of the ongoing General Certificate Examinations (GCE) conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) for private students in West Africa.
The Muslim group has also issued 48 hours ultimatum for reversal of the timing of some subjects including Forestry paper II, Government paper II, Further Mathematics papers I & II and Applied Electricity papers I & II scheduled for almost all Fridays, which clash with Jumat services ( Muslim Friday Prayers) in the months of September and October, 2015.
Speaking at a press conference held in Abeokuta on Thursday against WAEC GCE exams schedules, Mushafau Alaran, Amir/Zonal Co-ordinator, MSSN Zone-B, noted that timing of WAEC exams clashed with Jumat services (Friday prayers), affecting three Fridays in September and two Fridays in October, saying Muslim group”considered the scheduling of the time to be deliberate and WAEC should scold those who have caused this unwarranted degeneration.”
Alaran, who described exams timing as “barbaric, bluffing and disenfranchising and translates to taking the Muslims for fun and disrespectful for the religion”, said the group would protest to press home their demands if not reversed.
He said, “At the Zonal emergency meeting attended by delegates from 17 states from Southern part of Nigeria held at Osogbo, Osun state.
“MSSN observed with great concern the timing of some of the subjects in the time table of November/December West African School Certificate Examination, Private Candidate Examination 2015, popularly known as GCE by WAEC which is biased to the sanctity and fundamental right of Muslims and Islam.
“This is fervently noted in the composition of the said time table to explicitly place some of the the subjects at the period at the period when Muslims among the candidates registered for the examination will be at the praying ground observing Jumat services.
“MSSN demands immediate apology from WAEC and the Time table should be adjusted and the affected subjects should commence from 3pm rather than 1pm or 2pm. Every part of time table should take cognizance of the time for Muslim prayers at least Salatul Zuhr, Fore Noon prayer, which is now between 1pm and 2pm.
“Failure to adjust the time table as demanded within 48 hours, MSSN will mobilise Muslim students throughout the Federation and fight the injustice within the ambit of the law”, he added.
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