A six-man ad-hoc committee has been set up to seal a new deal between the Nigerian Postal Services (NIPOST), and the West African Examination Council (WAEC). The synergy is expected to see the NIPOST deliver WASSCE results to students in the comfort of their homes and will also accommodate the delivery of WAEC Certificates across the country.
This development was announced in Abuja, on Friday, 7 November when the Head of National Office, WAEC, Patrick Ehidiamen Areghan, visited the Postmaster General of the Federation/CEO NIPOST, Dr. Ismail Adebayo Adewusi.
As reported by Daily Trust, Mr. Areghan emphatically stated that the purpose of his visit was to seek for ways to make the collaboration work. According to him, it was important for the deal to be sealed considering how some WAEC offices were burnt down during the #EndSARS protest.
Following the announcement, social media users are reacting to the news. While many saw this as progress, others stated how ineffective NIPOST has been over the years, as they expressed their fear over their competence.
Here are a few:
From the reactions, majority of Nigerians view the news as progress but it also raises a number of questions.
Before now, WAEC candidates were made to buy a scratch card – readily available across Nigeria – and print out their results themselves. We need to know if WAEC has considered improving that process or even explored other alternatives that could be more effective. How about sending candidates their results and certificates via their email addresses?
This proposed collaboration with NIPOST, though, appearing nice, also leaves room for a lot of errors to happen; especially if one considers that NIPOST has for long, been reputed to be one of the poorest service providers for mails and related deliveries.
From reports of tampered parcels to misplaced deliveries; NIPOST is one public institution that needs urgent attention and with WAEC planning a collaboration with the service on such a critical initiative, we expect that all lapses will be fixed before the deal is sealed.
