Nigeria: Prisoners wey write WAEC wan better dia life
"If I become lawyer for future, I go must come dis yard, and see those wey no get money at all, to fight for dia case."
"I dey write dis WAEC to become lawyer for oda prisoners" Dis na di promise wey Tijani, wey be prisoner don give imself, as e dey write im O'level exam to take enter university from inside Ikoyi Prison, Lagos state, Nigeria. Tijani na one of di 35 prisoners wey dey attend di Ikoyi Prison School, and dem dey write di West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) as private candidates. Private candidate na wetin dem dey call those wey no dey secondary school, but dem wan write exam to take enter university. Di exam don dey go on across Nigeria, and di West African Examinations Council wey dey in charge of di exam say e go end today, nationwide. Ibikunle Idris wey be di Principal of Ikoyi Prison School tell BBC News Pidgin tori person Ruona Meyer say di prisoners don dey work hard. "As we dey write di exam, dem release two of dem. And e dey so wonderful as dem dey serious sotay dem dey come back to write di exam." Nigeria: See as prisoners jollificate for concert So how prisoners dey fit get education, even as dem dey locked up? Mr Idris say once person enter prison, chance dey for am to start school from beginning, especially if dem no sabi to read or write. "We get Primary 1 to 6, wey we go help person dey read, and we also get Junior and senior secondary too. Once person write dis WASSCE exam, then di Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) don guarantee say di person go fit go university, get im degree, even if dem be prisoner." Di National Open University dey run courses online, but dem get centres for prisons inside Lagos and Abuja, wey be Nigeria capital. Oga Idris say before, na 50% discount dem dey give prisoners, and dat one bin mean say dem go need look for di rest money from government and people wey get good mind to give, but now, "di NOUN people don say so long as person be prisoner, then dem go get 100% discount wey be say dem no go pay school fees to study for university." Teacher and books dem nko? Some of di prisoners wey don graduate dey help to teach dia mates, while NGOs dey send volunteer teachers. But most of di time, government dey employ some prison staff as teachers.One of dem na Mary Obasi. Ms Obasi wey dey teach Literature, say learning no dey too easy for di inmates. "Many of dem mind no dey dey class, because dem dey think dia condition, how dem take enter prison. But na to ginger dem, inspire dem with kind word, and before you know am, di same person wey bin no wan talk go begin ask question for class."