A GRACEFUL EXIT AT 60: My 34-Year Journey of Faith, Integrity, and Epoch-Making Service at NECO

By Alh. Suleiman Adegoke

Published on Ayekooto Media | July 26, 2026

       

APPRECIATION TO ALMIGHTY ALLAH FOR THE MERCY, GRACE, AND OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE

ALHAMDULILLAHI! I’M 60!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!

Modupe ibi ti mo ti bere, modupe ibi ti mo ba de, modupe o Allah ibi ti en gbemi lo. (All praises be to Almighty Allah from the beginning of my career to the end, and where He intends taking me in the nearest future).

"Fabi - ayyi Aalaai Rabbikumaa Tukazzibbaan?" Which of the favors of Almighty Allah can I deny? (Al-Rahman Quran 55:13). None. 

Alhamdulillahi Robilialameen. Alhamdulillahi Kezeera.

My bundle of appreciation goes to Almighty Allah for the mercy bestowed on me to serve at various stages, capacities, and at the higher management level in the Federal Civil Service. This journey saw me through Federal Government Girls College, Bauchi, all the way to the National Examinations Council (NECO). 

This is the day Allah has made for me, and I gladly rejoice in it. It is magnificent in my sight. Thank you, Allah, for the opportunity and privilege to clock 60 years on the surface of the earth, and 34 years of it in the service of the Federal Civil Service Commission of Nigeria. 

Appreciation to Pioneer & Past Leadership

My sincere appreciation goes to the pioneer Registrar/Chief Executive of NECO, Emeritus Professor Dibu Ojerinde, for discovering me and others early through a rigorous and competitive selection process between October 12th–14th, 1999. 

If not for the erudite and intentional Emeritus Professor—a true identifier of talents—I would have been languishing with chalk and blackboard at Federal Government Girls’ College, Bauchi, as an ordinary classroom teacher. He built in us confidence, purpose, loyalty, hard work, and dedication to duty. He drilled and modeled in us the rich knowledge of item generation, editing, evaluation, and character building. He laid solid foundations for NECO. Thank you, “Baba,” as he is fondly and affectionately called by all and sundry. 

My sincere gratitude also goes to the other past Registrars of NECO whom I had the opportunity to work with over the years. 

Gratitude to the Present Administration

My special honor and appreciation go to the present Registrar/Chief Executive, Prof. Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, in whose tenure and leadership I realized my full potential. 

Thank you, my amiable, unassuming, and progressive Registrar, for making me a Quadruplet Director in NECO, which saw me through four Departments and a Directorate, namely:

 Examination Development Department

 North-Central Zonal Directorate

Examination Administration Department

Test Development Department

You also entrusted me to serve as Chairman of many Management and Adhoc Committees. Thank you for the confidence and trust reposed in me; I will never take it for granted, sir. May Almighty Allah continue to protect and guide you and your loved ones. All the best wishes and successes in your well-deserved second tenure.

My unreserved appreciation also extends to the Personal Assistant (PA) to the Registrar/Chief Executive, Dr. Ibrahim Alih Peter, who discovered and located me for higher management roles at the most unexpected but auspicious time in my career. May Almighty God reward you bountifully. May your loyalty to higher authorities never be tested, and may you succeed on all fronts.

Thank you, Prof. Wushishi; you have built significantly on the foundations laid by the pioneer Registrar in terms of physical infrastructure and human capital development. Yours goes beyond lip service—you are a "talk and do" Registrar. Your achievements are massive, tangible, and visible. However, sir, it is not yet Uhuru in NECO; there is still much room for improvement. I enjoin you to work harder to complete all projects and urgently review staff welfare packages upward in tune with the current economic realities.

To My Pillars of Support & Dedicated Staff

My appreciation is extended to some notable individuals who stood by me through thick and thin:

Late Mrs. Stephen Oladipo Adebunmi(of blessed memory)

Mr. Rasaq A. Olarinoye

Engr. Lukman O. Suleiman(Eyan mi - my personal person)

Mr. Hassan A. Kutigi

Barr. Mrs. Gideon Bashir Jummai

Hajiya Mrs. Habibat Kolawole (Iyalaje)

Hajiya Mrs. Salmaat I. Ahmed

Hajiya Fatimah O. Olawuwo

These wonderfully dedicated people reminded me that loyalty and genuine love can come from where we least expect. 

I must also specifically appreciate all the hardworking Confidential Secretaries and trusted assistants with whom I had excellent working relations: Messrs Ali Garba, Michael A. Akinwunmi, Raji Adam, AbdulGafar Hanafi (Asejere), Sunday E. Babatunde, Nuradeen A. Yaro, Ahmed R. Bagwai, Abdul-hakim I. Lawal, Dr. Nnaemeka Itiri Uwake, and Mrs. Modester N. Agana. These incredibly workaholic staff sacrificed their personal comfort to satisfy the intense pressures of work I placed on them.

The Uncompromising Stance on Integrity

For those whose toes I unwittingly, unknowingly, and wrongly stepped on in the course of carrying out NECO duties, it was not deliberate. To err is human, and to forgive is divine. 

However, for those who felt offended by our management decisions to reposition NECO and protect its integrity—specifically regarding the ratification of sanctions imposed by the Staff Disciplinary Committee on Examination Infractions—I offer no apology whatsoever. They were given fair hearings, due processes were strictly followed, and the decisions were made to protect the absolute sanctity of the Council. 

An Epoch-Making Chapter Comes to a Close

As I officially mark the end of an epoch-making chapter in my life and career, I look back with immense gratitude. I will remain a steadfast supporter and a global ambassador of NECO wherever I go.

I enjoin you, my dear colleagues, to remain focused, loyal, dutiful, and dedicated to the Council’s noble vision, mission, and core values. May our paths cross again in our continuous service to the Nigerian child. The world is a global village; we will surely continue to meet if we are related by purpose. 

May the labor of our founding fathers, our retired staff, and those of you currently in active service never be in vain. Ameen.

I decree and declare in the Mighty name of God that divine help, favor, mercy, and the grace of God will find and locate all of you. May Almighty Allah be sufficient for us always. 

"Surely Allah is self-sufficient and above any need of the worlds." (Aal-e-Imran 3:97). 

"Allah has power over all things." (Aal-e-Imran 3:26, 29, 165, 189). 

"Surely Allah Knows what is in the breasts" (Innallaha 'Alimun bizzati's sudur). (Aal-e-Imran 3:119). 

God is good all the time. Thanks be to Almighty God, my Glory. 

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5). 

God promises: "I will care for you all your life – through every season, even until your hair is grey." (Isaiah 46:4). 

So shall it be fulfilled for all of us, In Sha Allah. God is not human; weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

Mi o se nijo?

Mi o se nijo?

Oluwa pami lerin ayo,

Mi o se nijo?

(It is a celebration galore for me because Almighty God has filled my mouth with laughter, and He has crowned my 34 years of service with absolute peace and joy!)

Published By:

David Alani Ige, (The Scribe)

Publisher/ Editor-in-Chief, Ayekooto Media

Phunshor01@gmail.com | publisher@ayekootomediang.com

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