Students sat for Hausa in 1961 WASSCE - Cambridge

The University of Cambridge Local Examinations
Syndicate, now known as Cambridge
Assessment, on Wednesday confirmed that
African language papers, including Hausa, were
offered for the West African School Certificate
Examination in the Northern Region in 1961.
The UK examination body, in a statement on its
website, also said that the number of
candidates who sat for the WASSC Hausa
examination in 1961 was 152.
Cambridge was responding to allegations that
the results presented by the All Progressives
Congress Presidential Candidate, Maj. Gen.
Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) were fake as being
alleged in some quarters.
There had been reports that Hausa was not
part of the WASSCE of 1961 as claimed in the
results presented by Buhari.
The examination body said it will not declare
the results of the All Progressives Congress
presidential candidate, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu
Buhari (retd.), on the grounds that the Data
Protection Act of 1998 prevents the body from
declaring anybody’s result to the public.
“We only confirm or verify results at the direct
request of, or with the permission of a
candidate. This is in accordance with the
provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998 and
section 40 of the Freedom of Information Act
2000,” the statement said.
According to Cambridge, even if the body has
Buhari’s result or that of any other person’s, it
is a personal document kept in trust.
The statement read, “Examination results were
classed in grades by 1 to 9. 1,2,3,4,5 & 6
indicate a Pass with Credit; 7 & 8 indicate a
Pass; 9 indicates a Failure.
“To pass the School Certificate, candidates had
to pass examinations in a variety of groups. It
was compulsory to pass English Language, but
not Maths, in order to gain the Certificate.
“The number of candidates who sat for the
WASC Hausa examination in 1961 was 152. Our
records show that Hausa was set in the
Northern Region in 1961.”
Buhari had, at a news conference at the Kano
State Government House, dismissed the
controversy over his school certificate as a
mischief orchestrated by the Peoples
Democratic Party.