The National Examinations Council (NECO) has suspended the ongoing school based Senior Schools Certificate Examinations (SSCE) till further notice following the escalation of the #EndSARS protests across the country.

The examinations body had equally ordered all its staff in the field to immediately return back to the office pending when the situation will calm down.

Only on Friday last week, the examination body announced the rescheduling of one of its Examinations papers due to inability of its distribution van to deliver examination materials to some states due to the nationwide #EndSARS protests.

NECO had in a statement in Minna on Sunday by the head Information Unit, Mallam Azeez Sani said the Computer Studies Practicals paper 1 earlier scheduled to have taken place on Monday 19 October 2020, 10am to 1pm was rescheduled for Monday 16 November 2020, for the same time.

Mallam Azzez gave reason for the rescheduling of the Examinations to blockage on free movement of vehicles at the City entrance gate in Benin, the Edo state capital, hence the inability of the council vehicle to deliver the papers for today (Monday) Examinations.

Although the examinations body managed to conduct its Economic paper on Tuesday and Physic practical on Wednesday, some states considered volatile as a result of the ongoing protests were excluded from the examinations.

But NECO in a message through the Department of Examination Administration (DEA) on Wednesday to all its staff on field for the examinations titled “putting off on hold some papers of the ongoing SSCE”, directed all its staff to return back to the office.

According to NECO, “The Management and Governing Board of the National Examinations Council NECO is compelled by circumstances occasioned by the End SARS protests which led to imposition of curfews in some states thereby making it difficult for the council to move sensitive materials across the country, to put on hold papers for Thursday 22 ,Friday 23 and Saturday 24th.October.”

NECO however said that “the papers will be written between 17th to 19th November after computer practical paper on the 16th”.

Its also pointed out that “Examinations will continue on the 27th of October”, adding further that “ALL Officers are hereby directed to return to base and await further directives on the 25th”

Consequently, NECO said state ministries of Education, Schools, parents, Supervisors, monitoring officers and other stakeholders should be adequately sensitized.