By Samson Yaki
Professor Dantani Wushishi has assumed office as the new Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the National Examination Council (NECO), promising to provide exemplary leadership that will take the examination body to greater heights.
A statement by the Head, Information and Public Relations Department of the body, Mr Azeez Sani, said the new registrar has vowed to reposition NECO to become a credible and internationally acclaimed examination body.
The statement quoted the new Registrar as saying: “My desire is to make NECO surpass international standards which other international examination bodies will look onto, that is my mission to NECO.
“I am not here to be biased in any way, rather I am here as a Nigerian, I will work with everybody to take NECO to the desired heights.”
Wushishi, who acknowledged that there are challenges in NECO that need to be tackled, said with the support of all staff, the challenges are surmountable and therefore, assured them that their rewards and privileges would be given to them as at when due.
He however stressed that the management under his leadership would not hesitate to punish any staff found wanting in the discharge of his/her duties before soliciting for the support of the management and staff to enable him actualise his vision for the Council.
President Muhammadu Buhari had on July 12, 2021 appointed Wushishi as the substantive Registrar of NECO replacing Prof. Godswill Obioma who died a few months ago.
The appointment, which was contained in 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 from 12TH July,2021.
A Professor of Science Education, Wushishi was born on 5th April, 1965 and hailed from Wushishi Local Government Area of Niger State.
Professor Wushishi was a lecturer in the Faculty of Education, Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto, before he transferred his service to Federal University of Technology, Minna.
He has held other positions in the education sector, among which are Post Graduate Coordinator, Department of Science Education, Federal University of Technology, Minna; Sub-Dean School of Science and Science Education, FUT, Minna; Head of Department, Department of Science Education, FUT Minna; Head of Department, Department of Science Education, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai.
Until his appointment as Registrar/Chief Executive of NECO, Prof. Wushishi was a Professor of Science Education (Chemistry) at the Federal University of Technology, Minna with many scholarly publications to his credit.
The new Registrar expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for deeming him fit to be appointed as NECO Registrar and pledged to work closely with the Federal Ministry of Education and the NECO Governing Board.
Earlier, the former Acting Registrar, Mr. Ebikibina John Ogborodi, had briefed the Registrar on the progress report on the ongoing 2021 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) as well as other mandates of the Council.