Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has criticised the President Bola Tinubu-led government over its decision to suspend the proposed increase in registration fees for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination and the National Examinations Council Senior School Certificate Examination, saying the reversal exposed what he described as a pattern of poor policy formulation.
Reacting to the Federal Government’s decision to halt the planned fee increase after widespread public criticism, Atiku welcomed the suspension but argued that the policy should never have been introduced without adequate consultation.
In a statement issued on Monday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president described the government’s reversal as a victory for parents, students, labour unions, civil society organisations and other Nigerians who opposed the proposed increase.
“The suspension is welcome, but it also raises an uncomfortable question: why must this government always wait for public outrage before correcting policies that should never have been conceived in the first place?” Atiku asked.
He accused the government of repeatedly introducing policies without sufficient stakeholder engagement, only to reverse course after public backlash.
“Governing is not a laboratory for reckless experimentation. Sound governments consult before they decide, not after Nigerians have been subjected to needless anxiety and uncertainty,” he added
According to Atiku, the proposed increase in examination fees would have placed an additional financial burden on families already struggling with inflation, rising transport costs, higher electricity tariffs and declining purchasing power.
