Politicians in Nigeria frequently act and speak as though they own the exclusive right to the art form, even going so far as to try to exclude others from it. The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) strongly refuted such false assumption in a press release titled “The Threshold of A New Era in Nigeria,” which was released in Orlu in September 2001. There, the CBCN exhorted all Catholic believers to become involved in politics, particularly those who had a gift for the challenging but honorable art of it. The common good, according to Church doctrine, is whence politics derives its intrinsic legitimacy, as well as its relevance and justification. To put it plainly, politics is a business that should not be taken lightly.

From this perspective, I would want to express my admiration for the West African Examination Council’s (WAEC) recent regulatory action on examination malpractices and the Oyo State Government’s resolve to investigate further. In the wake of examination malpractice during the 2022 West African School Certificate Examination for school candidates, the State released a list of roughly fifty schools that were de-recognized. Additionally, the owners of the schools were asked to provide an explanation of how their establishments came to be charged with test misconduct as well as to demonstrate how terminal class pupils would be supported throughout the deregulation phase of the schools. The fact that government, private, Christian, and Muslim schools are included on the list of failing institutions worries me most.

As part of its zero tolerance policy for examination malpractice, the Oyo State government reportedly announced plans to punish the principals and even the parents of the delisted schools in The Tribune newspaper on November 30, 2022. State Commissioner for Education, Science, and Technology Barrister Abiodun Abdu Raheem explained this decision by stating that no student in the State will be barred from writing the WASCE for the academic year 2022–2023 or in years to come. However, the affected schools will not be permitted to submit candidates for WAEC for two years.

Every well-meaning organization and individual should fully support WAEC and the Oyo State Government for their actions. The action of the Ministry and the sanctions imposed by the Oyo State government for the infraction, in my judgment, are well-measured and balanced. The penalties demonstrated the government’s sufficient concern for the impacted kids as well as its sufficient seriousness in policing society.

All well-meaning Nigerians should, in fact, view the pandemic of examination misconduct as one of the most destructive cankerworms eating away at Nigeria’s moral fiber and fundamental foundations of civilisation. The administration pays much too much lip service to sanitizing society on a number of topics.

This is particularly true for our nation, where there are many excellent laws and regulations, but few are put into practice and have consequences. During a one-day workshop held in Lagos this month, the Federal government itself urged all individuals, institutions, and governments to work together to combat examination malpractice in the nation. The administration promised to fight the scourge and acknowledged that it had spread to nearly every aspect of society. Therefore, it is a welcome and encouraging surprise to see Oyo State authorities deal so forcefully and directly with a public infraction in these parts.

However, I find it regrettable that the opposition APC in Oyo State, through Olawale Sadare, its press secretary, has accused the Seyi Makinde government of incorrectly attributing the crime committed to the parents and principals of the affected schools, and I have asked it to proceed cautiously in this regard. The APC said that “leadership failure,” rather than parents or principals, was at blame. It went on to make other accusations concerning socioeconomic and political shortcomings, which it felt the PDP government need to take responsibility for. Here, it makes sense to ask: Who are the true leaders in the organization known as the school, if not the principals, owners, and parents, deserving of accountability for any matter?

Must we politicize everything, even our children’s future and well-being? There is no better word for what is good and true than what it is. Politicians must constantly oppose one another in order to gain political mileage, and the APC provided no viable alternative to the punishing of the negligent parents and schools. Why not consent to discuss matters of shared interest?

Although it is difficult to find fault with penalizing negligent schools and their administration on a matter like examination malpractice, everyone has the right to question the APC government on any topic where it may be found deficient.

To be honest, I think that the Seyi Makinde government should be applauded for having the guts to do this, especially during this politically delicate time. As elections get near, some politicians would undoubtedly prefer to play it safe and let things get worse in order to avoid losing support and votes. However, true leaders must be recognized for their ability to act bravely and when necessary to further the interests of the general public. Politicians who would rather pander to their party’s base of support merely ask voters to demonstrate their moral rectitude and will to not be taken for granted.

When it comes time for elections, the general public has to condemn these politicians who don’t seem to care much about the future or the citizens and punish them by casting their votes. The fact is that the only way to bring back sanity and glory to this beaten and brutalized country, Nigeria, is to reintroduce moral principles into our public and private lives, especially in our educational institutions. Almost anywhere, at any moment, is the right location and time to start.