The House of Representatives Committee has given WAEC one week to submit bank statements and provide proof of spending over ₦5 billion on customized calculators, amid concerns over a ₦6 billion deficit and lack of transparency.
The House of Representatives Committee on Basic Examination Bodies questioned the Head of the National Office of the West African Examination Council (WAEC) in Nigeria, Josiah Dangut, during an investigative hearing on Tuesday. The committee examined a ₦6 billion deficit the agency incurred in 2023 and scrutinized a ₦5 billion loan taken in 2022 to purchase customized calculators.
Dangut was joined by WAEC Registrar Angus Okeleze, Senior Deputy Registrar Victor Odu, Acting Director of Finance Segun Jerumeh, and Deputy Director of Finance, WAEC. Although Dangut presented the agency’s cashbook, the committee rejected it, demanding that WAEC submit its bank statements instead.
Due to unsatisfactory responses from the WAEC team, the committee gave WAEC a one-week deadline to submit all its bank statements from 2018 to the present. Committee member Awaji-Inombek Abiante criticized WAEC’s lack of cooperation and stressed the need for transparency and accountability.
“WAEC Nigeria was uncooperative in this process, depriving Nigerians of the value of the country’s investment in that office. They must submit all their bank account statements as part of this investigation,” Abiante said.
The committee expressed disappointment that WAEC had only provided one of the eight requested documents, specifically the nominal roll. They demanded clarity on how WAEC generated ₦34 billion in 2023 but ended up spending ₦40 billion.
The committee also questioned how WAEC could approve a ₦5 billion loan when even a ministerial board wouldn’t have the authority to approve such an amount. Additionally, the committee asked for details on the number of students who participated in the 2022 exams, for which the ₦5 billion worth of calculators was purchased.
Finally, the committee demanded a detailed explanation for the ₦6 billion deficit, all related correspondence about the customized calculator purchase, and proof of approval for the ₦5 billion loan.
READ ALSO: 2024 WASSCE: WAEC Withholds 215,267 Results
SOURCED: ALLSCHOOL, NAIJA NEWS
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