What began as an All Progressives Congress (APC) membership e-registration exercise has evolved into a far-reaching educational intervention, as Delta State Commissioner for Works (Highways and Urban Roads), Comrade Reuben Izeze, stepped in to safeguard the academic future of students in Oginibo, Imode and Agbaghare communities of Ughelli South Local Government Area.
The initiative followed the discovery, during the APC e-registration process, that many secondary school students preparing for the 2026 diets of vital examinations conducted by WAEC, NECO and JAMB lacked a National Identification Number (NIN), now a mandatory requirement for registration for national examinations.
This purely administrative challenge posed a serious threat to the academic aspirations of otherwise qualified students. Upon being briefed on the situation, Comrade Izeze intervened by sponsoring the NIN registration of the affected students, thus ensuring they were not denied the opportunity to sit for their examinations.
The exercise, targeted prospective candidates for school certificate examinations conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) as well as the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board(JAMB) candidates, has since been expanded, with the registration window reopened to accommodate more eligible students from the three communities, in line with the commissioner’s resolve that no willing student should be left behind.
The intervention was further strengthened following the reactivation of the NECO examination centre at Oginibo Secondary School. The development would have compelled candidates to travel long distances to write their examinations, increasing financial pressure on parents and heightening the risk of absenteeism and dropouts.
In response, Comrade Izeze personally funded the process for the restoration of the centre. Officials from the NECO Zonal Office later visited the school, carried out the necessary assessments and officially reactivated the centre for the conduct of NECO examinations.
Taking the gesture a step further, the Commissioner also pledged to pay the fees for all students registering for the secondary school certificate examinations conducted by the National Examinations Council.(NECO).at the Oginibo Secondary School centre this year.
The move has significantly eased the financial burden on parents and guardians, many of whom are already contending with the cost of WAEC and JAMB registrations.
The series of interventions including free NIN registration, restoration of a key examination centre and the sponsorship of NECO fees have been widely applauded as a demonstration of people-focused leadership and a deliberate investment in human capital development.
Benefiting communities say the initiative has restored hope and protected the dreams of young people whose futures were at risk.
It would be recalled that Comrade Izeze had earlier sponsored the NIN registration of over 500 APC members who were initially excluded from the party’s e-registration exercise due to the absence of NIN, enabling their successful capture in the APC membership database.
For residents of Oginibo, Imode and Agbaghare, the interventions reflect a leadership philosophy that places education at the heart of sustainable development, affirming that while infrastructure opens roads, education secures the future.
