Atiku reacts to Tinubu’s suspension of WAEC, NECO fees hike
Atiku Abubakar Responds to Suspension of Examination Fee Hikes
Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has voiced his reaction to the Federal Government’s recent decision to suspend proposed increases in registration fees for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examinations Council’s Senior School Certificate Examination (NECO).
In a statement issued on Monday through his spokesperson Phrank Shaibu, Abubakar emphasized that Nigeria should not serve as a testing ground for what he termed “reckless policy.”
The government’s announcement came amid significant public backlash against the fee hikes. Abubakar stated that the decision validates his earlier warnings that raising examination costs would exacerbate educational inequality and hinder opportunities for disadvantaged students.
“The suspension is welcome, but it raises an important question: why does this administration wait for public outrage to rectify policies that should never have been proposed?” he said.
He criticized the government for what he described as a harmful pattern of introducing stringent policies without adequate public consultation, only to retract them in the face of mass opposition.
“Governing is not a laboratory for reckless experimentation,” Abubakar stated. “Sound governments engage with citizens before implementing policies, not after they have caused distress and uncertainty.”
He pointed out that reliance on public resistance to identify policy errors indicates a disconnection from the realities faced by ordinary Nigerians. The proposed fee increase, he warned, would have created an additional financial burden for millions of families already struggling with inflation and rising living costs.
Abubakar concluded by emphasizing that effective leadership requires foresight regarding the potential consequences of public policies.
