Reps grill WAEC boss over N6b deficit, N5b loan for customized calculators

By Christiana Ekpa

The House of Representatives Committee on Basic Examination Bodies has scrutinized the West African Examination Council (WAEC) Nigeria over a N6 billion deficit in 2023 and a N5 billion loan obtained in 2022 for the purchase of customized calculators, demanding full disclosure of financial records and documents to uncover the circumstances surrounding the expenditures
The Head of National Office of the West African Examination Council (WAEC) Nigeria, Josiah Dangut, who was grilled by the House was accompanied by the Registrar; Angus Okeleze, Senior Deputy Registrar; Victor Odu, Acting Director of Finance; Segun Jerumeh, Deputy Director of Finance, WAEC.
Dangut provided the cashbook of the Agency to the Committee, but they declined, insisting that it must submit its bank statements.
Following the unsatisfactory response by the WAEC Representatives, the Committee headed by resolved that WAEC must submit all its bank statements from 2018 till date within a week.
A member of the Committee, Awaji-Inombek Abiante, described WAEC as uncooperative, saying they must be held accountable.
“WAEC Nigeria was an uncooperative witness in this process, shielding and denying Nigerians of having value for whatever investment the country has had in that office should submit to this committee in furtherance of this investigation all the bank account statements of his office,” he said.
The Committee was piqued that out of eight submissions demanded from the examination in a bid to probe their expenditure, it only submitted one, which was the nominal roll.
The Committee Chairman said they had to explain how WAEC generated N34 billion in 2023 but spent N40 billion.
He also wondered how the examination body could approve a loan of up to N5 billion when even a Ministerial Board could not approve such amount.
He queried the WAEC Head about how many students participated in the 2022 elections that they got the calculators for.
The Committee demanded that WAEC must provide the expenditures that have led to the N6 billion deficits and all correspondence related to the purchase of customised calculators.
It said evidence of approval for the 5 billion naira loan to purchase the customized calculators must be provided
The Committee also demanded for evidence of due process followed for the award of the contract as well as evidence of payment, including payment vouchers and bank records.
The Committee also demanded for evidence of submission of accounts to the Auditor General for the Federation from 2018 to 2023
It also demanded the profile of the external auditor for the agency and the engagement letters for the past three years.
The Committee also queried WAEC for breaching the financial, public procurement and the financial regulations Acts over the payment of 50 percent of the contract for the construction of its Taraba state office worth N532 million.
Dangut who pleaded with the lawmakers to give him another date to enable him present the statement of account and other documents demanded
He also explained that he had to pay 50 percent of the Taraba office contract sum to avoid the astronomical rise on the inflationary trend in the country.
Oboku said the Committee on Basic Education Examination Bodies is not a witch-hunting committee but is focused on fulfilling its constitutional obligations as outlined in the constitution.
“Both the legislative house and WAEC are bound by the Constitution. As such, the committee expects full cooperation from WAEC, including the timely provision of all necessary documents to expedite our inquiry and report,” he said.