Islamic scholars have criticised the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) over its 2018 May/June Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE)
In its recently released timetable, candidates are expected to write Chemistry paper from 2pm to 5pm on Friday, April 20 which has now clashed with the Muslim Jummat Prayer.
The Muslim Friday prayers usually hold as from 1:30pm to 3pm.
Ishaq Akintola, president of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), speaking on the Timetable said it is an “injustice” against Muslims, whom he claimed had become “endangered species”.
According to him, WAEC has been fixing examinations during Jummat time for some years which is “illegal, unconstitutional and unlawful”.
He said, “When there is no justice, there can never be peace and everyone is clamouring for peace.
“Until something starts happening, until the Muslims start disrupting WAEC examination, until Muslims start tearing WAEC examination materials, that is when government will start paying attention.
“WAEC is playing games and they want the Muslims to make noise every year, the council is deliberately provoking Muslims and it has continued to show itself as a consistent anti-Muslim institution.
“Section 38 subsection 1 and 2 of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s constitution stipulates that there must be freedom of worship and WAEC fixing an examination for 2pm simply means that WAEC does not want Muslims to worship, therefore WAEC is an oppressor and we are ready for them.
“The Muslims in every vicinity of the exam can mobilise on the day of the examination and go to the schools which the exams will be written, we are sending this warning to WAEC not to dare it.
“Fixing a major subject at Jummat time is illegal, unconstitutional and unlawful.”he said.
Similarly, AbdulRazaq Kilani, who is the chief Imam of the University of Port Harcourt, said it had become a normal narrative in Nigeria that Muslims have to protest before simple rights can be given to them.
“WAEC is an international organization, one would have expected that they take due diligence by identifying subjects that they could put on Friday which are not core subjects like carpentry, textiles among others that are not offered by large number of candidates. So putting Chemistry there is wrong,” he said.
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