By Uche Amunike
President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed a Professor of Science Education at the Federal University of Technology, FUT, Minna, Niger state, Ibrahim Wushishi as the substantive Registrar and Chief Executive Officer for the National Examinations Council, NECO.
The appointment is coming barely two months after the immediate past substantive registrar of the examination body, Mr Godswill Obioma died in Minna, Niger state capital, where the NECO headquarters is situated.
Before now, the governing board of the examination body had on June 3, announced Ebikibina Ogborodi, who was Director of Special Duties, to be the Acting Registrar to hold the forte after Mr Obioma’s sudden death.
However a statement issued on Monday by NECO and signed by its Head, Information and Public Relations, Azeez Sani said Mr Wushishi’s appointment took effect July 12th 2021. He was born on April 5 1965.
Part of the statement reads: ‘A letter dated 16th July, 2021, with reference No: FME/PSE/NECO/1078/C.1/36 and signed by the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, stated that the appointment which is for an initial tenure of five years, takes effect from12th July, 2021.’
Prof Wushishi is a professor of Science Education who specializes in Chemistry. He hails from Wushishi Local Government Area of Niger state.
The new NECO boss was a lecturer in the Faculty of Education, Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto before he transferred his service to Federal University of Technology, Minna.
Recall that On June 1 the family of his predecessor Mr Obioma announced that he died in questionable circumstances barely one year after taking the position of Registrar.
It was an announcement that made worse, the heightened tension over the report by some media platforms that Mr Obioma was assassinated.
The son of the late Registrar actually released statements concerning the death of his father to the NECO management.
The statement read in part:
‘Dear Sir, this is to formally inform you that my father, Prof. Godswill Obioma, the Registrar/Chief Executive Officer of NECO passed to eternal glory yesterday 31/5/2021 after a brief illness.’
‘We request that you kindly notify the board, management and the entire staff of the Council of this development.We shall keep you duly informed.’
Mr Obioma, a former Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), was the Resident Electoral Commissioner for the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Ebonyi State before he was appointed NECO registrar in May 2020.
Before his death, the late NECO boss had a rough time at the establishment following allegations of mismanagement and corrupt practices.
His appointment followed the removal of the former Registrar of the examination body, Charles Nwakwe, over corruption allegations and poor management.
However, he, too, was soon accused of corruption and other illegalities by staff and board of the agency.
Wushishi has held other positions including Post Graduate Coordinator, Department of Science Education, FUT, Minna; Sub-Dean School of Science and Science Education, FUT, Minna.
Others were Head of Department, Science Education, FUT Minna; Head of Department, Science Education, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai.
Until the new appointment, Wushishi was a Professor of Chemistry at the FUT, Minna.
The scholar has many publications to his credit and is married and blessed with children.
