The West African Examinations Council
has said that it will continue to hold on to the 2016 West African
Senior School Certificate Examination results of candidates in 13 states
until the backlog of WASSCE fees owed by the affected state governments
is paid.
has said that it will continue to hold on to the 2016 West African
Senior School Certificate Examination results of candidates in 13 states
until the backlog of WASSCE fees owed by the affected state governments
is paid.
The council has also expressed dismay at
what it described as the nonchalant attitude of the state governments
to honour the agreement reached by both parties in the wake of the
examination, saying that it signalled a ‘symptom of bigger problems.’
what it described as the nonchalant attitude of the state governments
to honour the agreement reached by both parties in the wake of the
examination, saying that it signalled a ‘symptom of bigger problems.’
The Public Relations Officer of the
council, Mr. Demianus Ojijeogu, said this on Wednesday in a telephone
interview with our correspondent.
council, Mr. Demianus Ojijeogu, said this on Wednesday in a telephone
interview with our correspondent.
The official, who declined to name the
debtor states said that the total sum of money owed WAEC amounts to more
than N2bn, with one state owing N500m. He added that eight of the
debtor states were from the north, while three and two states were from
the South-South and South-West geo- political zones of the country,
respectively.
debtor states said that the total sum of money owed WAEC amounts to more
than N2bn, with one state owing N500m. He added that eight of the
debtor states were from the north, while three and two states were from
the South-South and South-West geo- political zones of the country,
respectively.
Alleging that some states owed the
council since 2014, Ojijeogu noted that an agreement was reached early
this year for the debtor states to pay 40 per cent of the total cost of
the 2016 examination as a requirement for their pupils to sit for the
examination.
council since 2014, Ojijeogu noted that an agreement was reached early
this year for the debtor states to pay 40 per cent of the total cost of
the 2016 examination as a requirement for their pupils to sit for the
examination.
“They reneged on the agreement we had
during registration. We agreed that they should pay 40 per cent of the
registration cost and pay the rest later. We used the payment to offset
the backlog because some of them have owed us since 2014.
during registration. We agreed that they should pay 40 per cent of the
registration cost and pay the rest later. We used the payment to offset
the backlog because some of them have owed us since 2014.
“We even told them to give us Advance
Payment Guaranty from reputable banks, but one of the states brought a
document from a branch of a commercial bank, not even from the
headquarters of the bank. We were lenient last year and we released the
results. But, if you leave it to some of them, they will not pay for
five or 10 years. We will not do that this year. That is our leverage
and we cannot go bankrupt because of them,’’ he said.
Payment Guaranty from reputable banks, but one of the states brought a
document from a branch of a commercial bank, not even from the
headquarters of the bank. We were lenient last year and we released the
results. But, if you leave it to some of them, they will not pay for
five or 10 years. We will not do that this year. That is our leverage
and we cannot go bankrupt because of them,’’ he said.