NYCN Alleges Sectional Bias Behind WAEC Industrial Dispute
By Sani Idris Abdulrahman
The Northern Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has alleged that sectional bias is responsible for the lingering industrial dispute within the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Nigeria.
The National President of NYCN, Isah Abubakar, made the allegation in a statement issued to newsmen.
Abubakar said the council’s position followed a petition submitted two years ago by a concerned Northerner over the prolonged conflict within WAEC, Nigeria.
He said the petitioner alleged that the persistent feud between the management and the National Association of Academic Staff Union (NASU), WAEC Nigeria branch, was rooted in sectional bigotry.
According to him, the petitioner claimed the current Chief Executive Officer (CEO) was being targeted because he is a Northerner leading an organisation largely populated by Southwesterners.
Abubakar said the council carefully reviewed the petition before independently monitoring developments surrounding the industrial dispute.
He said the council also examined the role played by NASU headquarters in the conflict between WAEC management and its WAEC Nigeria branch.
According to him, the council studied the latest correspondence sent by the NASU headquarters to the WAEC management on behalf of its WAEC Nigeria branch.
He said the review assessed the validity of the union’s demands and the truthfulness of allegations contained in its communications.
Abubakar said the council also compared the challenged administrative practices with those of previous Chief Executive Officers of the examination body.
He said the review further considered recruitment, appointment and deployment patterns within WAEC, Nigeria, alongside concerns raised in a petition alleging non-compliance with the Federal Character Principle enshrined in Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution.
According to him, the NYCN observed allegations of disproportionate representation in favour of some geopolitical zones, which it said had fuelled perceptions of marginalisation.
Abubakar alleged that recruitment exercises conducted between 2020 and 2024 reflected significant disparities, claiming the South-West accounted for 273 national staff recruits, compared with 195 combined across the three northern geopolitical zones.
He also cited claims that the South-West and South-South together received 437 of the 726 national staff recruited during the period, representing about 60.2 per cent of the total recruitment.
According to him, allegations that the northern geopolitical zones remained underrepresented in international staff recruitment reinforced concerns expressed by the petitioner.
He alleged that, in 2023, all 16 international staff recruited into the Registrar cadre came from southern states, while none was recruited from the three northern geopolitical zones.
According to him, the NYCN also took note of claims that leadership positions within WAEC had historically been dominated by one geopolitical zone, a situation it said deserved scrutiny.
Abubakar alleged that the petition showed the South-West had occupied the headship of WAEC Nigeria for 32 out of the institution’s 56 years, while the three northern geopolitical zones had held the position only once, for three years.
He alleged that the findings corroborated the concerns raised in the petition received by the council two years earlier.
According to him, the council found no convincing justification for the persistent dispute other than the identity of the current Chief Executive Officer.
Abubakar alleged that the only distinguishing factor between the present administration and previous ones was that the incumbent Chief Executive Officer is a Northerner.
He said the petitioner had written to NASU headquarters, giving it the benefit of the doubt as the parent trade union.
According to him, the letter reminded the union of its responsibility to promote organisational sanity within WAEC, Nigeria.
He said the correspondence outlined the contents of the petition and the council’s independent observations, which it said supported the petitioner’s claims.
Abubakar urged all relevant authorities to ensure fairness, equity and balanced representation in WAEC’s recruitment, appointments and administration to promote industrial harmony and national integration.
He also called for a comprehensive audit of recruitment, appointments, promotions and deployments, publication of compliance records on the Federal Character Principle, a review of deployment policies and the establishment of a transparent monitoring mechanism to ensure equitable representation across all geopolitical zones.
Abubakar added that the letter also offered advice to the union’s headquarters in the interest of industrial harmony.
