Funmi Ogundare
The Education Writers Association of Nigeria, (EWAN), has commended the outgoing Head of National Office, WAEC, Nigeria, Patrick Areghan for his dedication to the development of education in the country.
Speaking at a programme to commemorate Areghan’s retirement, end of tenure and birthday thanksgiving, recently in Lagos, the Chairman of the association, Mr. Mojeed Alabi, described the celebrant as someone who left strong marks on the education sector, saying that his contributions would never be forgotten by those he impacted on and especially the members of the association.
Notable developments during the tenure of Patrick Areghan include reforms in WAEC through technology based modules and platforms, high standards for conduct of WAEC examination in Nigeria, enhancing better relations with examination candidates and the national office in Nigeria, among others.
In his goodwill message, a former HNO (2012 to 2015), Mr. Charles Eguridu described Areghan’s tenure as exceptional in innovation and managerial skills, adding that his appointment into office and conduct of public examination, also came at a time when the world witnessed the outbreak of Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19).
“Areghan led the team of dedicated WAEC staff that midwifed the re-engineering if the council’s examination procedures aimed at assuaging the fears of both governments and parents in the conduct of a large scale public examination like WASSCE in the midst of the pandemic.
“The council was able to adapt some of its in-house procedures from the shifting sands of uncertainty and the challenges associated with the traditional methods to the uncharted terrains of cyberspace in spite of its attendant risks,” he said.
The immediate past Director of Administration, Mr. Yusuf Ari congratulated Areghan for his achievements in spite of all the daunting challenges.
“With remarkable determination, you confronted the hurdles posed by the pandemic to the operations of the council, foremost among which was the real threat of the postponement of the conduct of the 2020 edition of the school candidates examination, indefinitely, in Nigeria.”
In his response, Areghan thanked the association for its support during his four-year tenure, saying,”let me use this medium to thank EWAN, for all the support I received from the association throughout the almost four years of my stay in office as HNO, WAEC, Nigeria. Without you, it would, perhaps, have been a different trajectory.”
