With the speed and uncommon passion deployed to usher in positive changes in the National Examinations Council (NECO) since assuming office, Prof. Ibrahim Dantani Wushishi has left no one in doubt of his readiness to reposition the exam body as one of the best in the world. FELIX KHANOBA writes.
It is no longer news that many Nigerians have in recent times fallen in love with NECO.
This is not unconnected to the golden touch of its new registrar, Prof Wushishi, which has seen to more seamless conduct of all NECO exams, improvement on staff welfare, springing up of new facilities, among others, all within a short period of time.
The Niger State-born Professor of Chemistry, assumed office as new NECO boss on 12 July 2021 and immediately hit the ground running.
The results recorded by his bold actions, only a few months after taking over the mantle of leadership, have not only attracted more goodwill to NECO but has culminated in more popularity and acceptability of all its exams.
Just recently, Prof Wushishi took it upon himself to visit some states to chart better paths for the exam body, the venture yielded bountiful results as affected state governors directed that the NECO Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) will now be mandatory in all public schools in the states.
The states that jettisoned the practice of making NECO SSCE optional in public schools but mandatory due to Prof. Wushishi’s intervention include Cross River, Ebonyi, among others.
Prof. Wushishi has also rolled out several reforms for efficient service delivery and ensured that issues that were capable of denting the image of the oragnisation were fully addressed.
One of such issues was the payment of all ad-hoc staff involved in the conduct of the 2021 SSCE for school based candidates.
The ad-hoc staff include 18,243 Supervisors, 887 Assistant Supervisors and 65,159 Examiners.
The feat was recorded despite the fact that many state governments are yet to pay the examination fees of their candidates, which run into over N1 billion naira.
Prof. Wushishi have also seen to successful conduct of and timely release of the results of the 2021 National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE).
Seamless conduct of Trial Tested Items in some selected secondary schools across the six geo-political zones in the country.
Successful conduct and timely release of the results of the 2021 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) for JSS 3, among others.
Other achievements recorded by the registrar include; 1) institution of a robust welfare packages for staff -Retirement benefits for staff, financial assistance for sick staff, financial assistance for burial expenses for staff among others. 2) Comprehensive Life Assurance for all staff-insurance for staff involved in accident during the course of official assignment and for those who die in active service.These policies have been approved by NECO Governing Board under the able chairman,Dr. Abubakar Siddique.
3)All staff due for promotion and who passed the prescribed examination have been promoted for the year 2021. 4) The development of ICT software to enhance and ensure fairness in posting of staff for assignments, has restored calm and addressed the issue of perceived favouritism.
5) Basic facilities such as toilets have been provided at the premises ICT department . It should be noted that before now ,staff of the Department visited the nearby bush to ease themselves when pressed. 6) Institution of Reward system for staff who distinguish themselves in the discharge of their responsibilities.
While stakeholders in the nation’s education sector are already blown away by these uncommon achievements recorded so far by Prof. Wushishi, many Nigerians cannot boast of knowing the humble beginning of the former university’s don.
The NECO registrar was born on 5th April 1965 in Wushishi Local Government Area of Niger State.
He attended the Central Primary School Wushishi between 1973 to 1979 before proceeding to Government Science College, Izom for his Secondary Education between 1979 to 1984.
His quest for higher education took him to Niger State College of Education where he obtained the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) in 1987.
Professor Wushishi was also at the Nigeria Navy Ship Akaso, BaroKiri, Port-Harcourt in 1988 for the Naval Training Certificate.
He Obtained his first and masters Degrees as well as PhD in Science Education with bias in Chemistry from the Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto in 1998, 2001 and 2005 respectively.
Professor Wushishi was a lecturer at the Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto between 2004 to 2007 before he transfered his service to the Federal University of Technology, Minna in 2008.
He was appointed an Associate Professor in 2004; Head of Department, Department of Science Education between 2014 to 2017 and Head of Department, Department of Science Education Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai (IBBUL) between 2015 and 2016 while on sabbatical.
Until his appointment as Registrar/Chief Executive of NECO on 12th July, 2021, he was a Professor of Science Education (Chemistry) at the Federal University of Technology, Minna.
As an erudite scholar and performances recorded so far, it is highly believed that Professor Wushishi would leave no stone unturned to reposition NECO as an international examination body that would be envy of its peers.
