WAEC's Sinking Image

I have recently been saddened by the alarming rate at which the image of WAEC is sinking.The position of WAEC is such that,it must be able to conduct examinations devoid of any malpractices!.

Unfortunately,that is the situation WAEC finds itself .For close to a decade now,that institution have always been in the news for all the negative reasons.In 1996 for example,the English Language paper had to be cancelled when there was evident that,it had been leaked out.

Students who were lucky enough to finish their exams early had to go and come back for the english paper or had to wait till they had re-written that paper before leaving to their respective destinations.

In the year 2001,there was widespread leakage of the BECE exam papers and the attendant cost involved in setting new questions cannot be lost on any discerning Ghanaian.Since WAEC's stock-in-trade in the recent past and now have become the ease with which exams papers supposed to be confidential are leaked to students,i was nevertheless suprised at all when i read from ghanaweb.com the other day that,Physics,English Literature1 and French papers had been cancelled.

As a concerned Ghanaian who have written exams conducted by WAEC,I am very disturbed greatly at the recent negative publicity WAEC have had to draw itself into and how their certificates will be viewed in the international arena.

I frankly believe that,WAEC,whose sole responsibility has to do with organising examinations devoid of malpractices have lost that and instead,continue to watch in bewildered amazement as each year,there are rumours and proofs of examination papers,having leaked out.

Only God knows what mechanisms have been put in place to curtail this perennial menace that have been bedevilling WAEC in recent years.I am sure their image is so much dented in the sight of all discerning Ghanaians such that,no amount of PR can salvage their sinking image.

In Africa,just as it is rare to see it snow,so it is with public officers tendering in their resignations when the very instituttions they head loses grip of what could be dealt with intenally.

I find it difficult to fathom why the head of WAEC,Rev.Adotey,after all these years of leakages,have not for once thought of resigning honourably for somebody else to come in with fresh ideas so that,what is left of his own image and that of the institution he heads(if any is left by the way)is protected.! Must God come from heaven to tell him he's lost grip of the institution he heads before he resigns.?

I don't have any personal vendetta against the Rev but i firmly believe that,just as he would be proud of any achievement WAEC makes under his tenure,so must he take the blame for whatever mess the institution he heads finds itself in.

In London where i am currently domiciled,i have learnt greatly the way and manner at which public officers resign when the institutions they head are bedevilled with problems that could have been averted.The chairman of the Board of Governors and the Director General of the BBC tenedered in their resignations when the BBC was heavily criticised in the Hutton report.

More recently,the Chief Executive of the English FA also resigned when it was revealed he had had an affair with a secretary at the FA and that,the coach had also had an affair with the same lady.The Director of Communications at the FA also resigned when,after he had issued a statement to deny the affairs,he had the unpleasant task of issuing another one to confirm the story.

I am sure when the idea of resignation is sold to the Rev,his first question will be"what will my family,both immediate and extended eat".!!In all honesty,good name is better than riches;infact,even pure gold.A word to a wise .................and any institution without a means of reform is certainly without any means of survival.

God bless Ghana.