FREETOWN, Sierra Leone — Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray, the former leader of the Alliance Democratic Party (ADP), has pledged to support a 45-year-old nurse who was recently removed from taking the government-sponsored West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in Freetown.
Taking to social media, Mansaray expressed his deep concern over the incident and announced his willingness to fund the woman’s private WASSCE registration.
“Can someone please help me locate this 45-year-old nurse who was disgracefully removed from taking the WASSCE? I’d like to sponsor her private WASSCE so she can empower herself,” Mansaray wrote in his post.
The nurse, identified only as Saminatu, resides in Juba, opposite the Services School gate, and works in the Outpatient Department at the Emergency Surgery Hospital.
The incident unfolded last week at UMC School in Goderich, Freetown, where the woman was discovered taking the government-sponsored WASSCE.
The Deputy Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Madam Mamusu Patricia Massaquoi, encountered her during an impromptu inspection. A video circulating online captures the Deputy Minister questioning the woman, who was dressed in a white uniform.
Following the controversy, Sierra Leone’s Opposition Leader in Parliament, Hon. Abdul Kargbo, also took to social media to offer his support.
“Can someone please help me get the contact information of the 45-year-old woman who was unfairly removed from taking the WASSCE? She’s my hero, and I’m proud of her. I will cover all her expenses to take the WASSCE,” Kargbo posted.
According to the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists’ iVerify platform, the nurse’s removal from the exam was confirmed as a factual event.
In Sierra Leone, the government fully sponsors WASSCE registration for students enrolled in government or government-assisted schools. Those who are not in the formal school system typically sit for the Private WASSCE, which is self-funded. It remains unclear how the nurse became part of the government-sponsored exam.
Mansaray and Kargbo’s gestures have sparked a wave of public sympathy and renewed conversations about adult education and inclusivity in Sierra Leone’s education system.
