How I issued Buhari his WAEC certificate – Alex Ajayi

First graduate from Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, and campaign director to the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo during the 1976 Presidential election, 86-year-old Alex Ajayi said he issued President Muhammadu Buhari, Sani Abacha and Ibrahim Babangida their WAEC certificates.

Speaking with the Punch, he recalled how his hard work as the Principal of Fiditi Grammar School, Oyo State, at age 26 in 1956, where he produced the first set of students in 1959, gave him a job in the West African Examinations Council.

He said, “With that level of achievements, I joined the West African Examination Council as a pioneer staff.

“I was the first substantive Nigerian Assistant Registrar. I took over the control of the examination from the University of Cambridge.

I took examiners to Cambridge for training across 10 years and trained them in Nigeria.

“I had the opportunity of issuing WAEC certificates to three former Heads of State: Buhari, Abacha and Babangida in the 60s.

“When I was in WAEC, I was put on the council of the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) in 1966 by the national government of Aguiyi Ironsi.

“I was put on three important committees. The vice-chancellor and others were interested that I became a full staff of the university which I was not really keen about.

“But I finally accepted out of pressure. When I was serving on the council of the University of Ife, I was among the three-member committee selected by Chief Obafemi Awolowo as the first chancellor,” he said.