3 reasons why we asked for WASSCE candidates to register with their National Identification Number (NIN)
1. It is the right of every citizen to get an NIN. An NIN helps you access government services and this includes education services.
2. It removes malpractice in exams and education. Since NIN has biometrics, all exam and university records could now be linked to NIN. Where are those who were calling on action on fake degrees scandal? This is one fundamental way of ensuring that everyone has the appropriate degrees and certification linked to their NINs. In the future, we will check biometric and other ID records to show that Abdulai Conteh is indeed Abdulai Conteh who sat to WASSCE and has a degree.
3. It removes financial corruption in education system. Since the FQSE, many people working in the public and private sector come and register in schools to take exams (these are the people likely to cheat by the way and not our FQSE students). Government paid ~$5 million on WASSCE alone last year. Now, we will sanitize the list and send to the ACC and police all those who are culprits and using the system. NCRA will run entire entry list against their system and return to us those who wanted to cheat the system. Those candidates and their Principals will be brought to the law.
Can the systems be more efficient? Yes.
Can we as citizens better organize? Yes.
In fact NCRA, MBSSE, TSC, SLTU/CPSS and others have been working hard to remove bottlenecks. Coming to abuse government isn’t the answer. Let’s get this done!