The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has rewarded the two outstanding candidates and schools from public schools in the 2021 school-based West African Senior School Certificate Examination(WASSCE) nationwide.
The candidates are 18-year-old Edeani Izuchukwu of the Air Force Comprehensive School, Agbani, Enugu State, who is now a medical and surgery student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a 17-year-old Joan Whisky of the Federal Government College, Ikole-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
While Izuchukwu emerged as the overall best male candidate from the public schools nationwide for the year, Whisky won as the overall best female candidate from public schools.
They both scored distinctions in all the eight subjects that they sat for in the examination and were given cash prizes and a certificate of merit for their efforts.
Similarly, WAEC also rewarded the overall best public school in all subjects in the examination, and also the best in the science subjects; the best three performing schools in Delta State, as well as the long service award to 12 staffers of the organisation.
While Owaza Secondary School, Asa, Abia State and Government Day Secondary School, Gurbin Bore, Zamfara State, emerged as the best public schools in science subjects and the best in all subjects respectively the Redeemer’s International High School, Asaba, Royal College Ovwan and Our Lady of Nigeria Secondary School, Oghara, emerged winners of the schools that produced the best aggregate results in the examination under consideration in Delta State in the second and third position respectively in the category.
They were all given their prizes at the 60th annual meeting of the Nigeria National Committee (NNC) of WAEC held in Asaba, Delta State capital.
Speaking at the event, Delta State governor and deputy presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, commended WAEC for its strong contribution to the development of education in the country and conduct of credible examination.
Okowa, who was represented by the secretary to the State Government, Mr Patrick Ukah, said Delta State would continue to support the examination body in any area possible.
In his own remark at the sideline of the event, the Head of National Office of WAEC Nigeria, Mr Patrick Areghan, said the organisation instituted the various category awards to encourage excellence and healthy competition among students and schools across the country.
He noted that the initiative had yielded tremendous results even as he congratulated all the award winners, their schools and parents.
He urged them not to rest on their oars but to work harder as they advance in their academic pursuits.
