WAEC and the Shamelessly Defaulting States

The public relations officer of the West African Examinations Council, Mr. Demianus Ojijeogu, said last week that the council had withheld the 2016 West African Senior School Certificate Examination results of candidates in 13 states due to a backlog of exam fees owed by the affected state governments totalling over N2 billion. Ojijeogu said one particular state owed N500 million in such unpaid fees. This should make such states feel ashamed.

The decision to pay the WASSCE fees of the candidates was voluntarily taken by the respective state governments. But it was also an agreement between the governments and WAEC, which had little or no input from the candidates. It is, therefore, very unfair to make the innocent candidates suffer for the indiscretion of the state governments.

WAEC should find other means of settlement with the affected state governments that would not subject innocent candidates to the unpleasant experience of sitting examinations whose results they may not get at the appropriate time. – Vincent Obia

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