WAEC Denies Helping Nigerian Politicians Fake Results
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has denied reports that it perverted the course of justice by allegedly conniving with some politicians.
The politicians, according to the allegations, were those
whose election victories in the last general elections were being challenged in
court by their opponents.
WAEC, in a statement by Mrs Moyosola Adesina, Acting Head, Public Affairs of
the council, issued to newsmen on Thursday in Lagos, dismissed such reports as
malicious, wicked and misleading.
Quote
“Recently, the Nigerian press has been awash with stories
of attempts by WAEC to pervert the course of justice by allegedly conniving
with some highly placed persons, whose electoral victories in the last national
elections are being challenged in court by their opponents.
“These reports even alleged that “top WAEC Directors” at the Yaba office,
received huge sums of money in several tranches to conceal and doctor
information on WAEC records concerning some defendants.
“The reports went on to say that WAEC has been complicit
in denying all litigants access to examination records, in proof of their cases
in court.
“It also bogusly claimed that an investigative agency had gone to Ghana and
completed investigations while efforts to do so in Nigeria, were blocked by
some WAEC officials.
“These reports are all baseless, malicious and misleading. We must guide
against the bastardisation of assessment and the destruction of education in
the country.
“When people who are not in charge of examinations and do not have the
expertise and records of relevant documents and information try to hijack the
mandate of a time-tested organisation, it portends danger,”
she said.
She noted that such trend could further destroy the efforts by government in
fixing the education sector. According
to her, WAEC deserves accolades for holding on as a colossus for the past 71
years. She described those who query its integrity as ‘desperadoes’, who simply
want things in their favour at all costs.
Adesina regretted the development, noting that sadly enough, the same people
were proud holders of the WAEC certificates.
She noted that ordinarily, council would have ignored all the malicious
allegations, but decided to do some clarifications and enlightenment, for the
benefit of the Nigerian public and for the sake of assessment and education,
generally, in Nigeria.
Quote
“WAEC is an international examination body with a clear mandate to conduct examinations in the public interest and award certificates, and it has been doing so since 1952, without any integrity issues. Its certificates are recognised and acceptable all over the world.
“WAEC is a legal entity that can sue and be sued. It is a
law-abiding organisation with absolute respect for the judiciary. It will,
therefore, always appear in court whenever subpoenaed and obey any valid order
arising there from.
“This is the era of politics. WAEC has been subpoenaed on several occasions to
appear in court to confirm the authenticity of WAEC results, certificates, or
documents tendered by some litigants and we have always done so.
“For record purposes and the benefit of the Nigerian public, WAEC Ghana has
nothing to do with the results of Nigerian candidates, just as Nigeria does not
have anything to do with the results of Ghanaian candidates, even though we
administer the same international examinations,”
she noted.
She argued that for reports to say that some investigating agencies had gone to
Ghana and had concluded investigation on a matter in Nigeria, is false.
According to her, there is no way the Ghana office, or even
the headquarters, can speak on a matter they know nothing about, adding that no
member country has other member countries’ results, records and documents.
Adesina denied other reports that alleged that WAEC had been complicit in
denying all litigants access to examination records in proof of their cases in
court.
She said that the examination body had always and would continue to cooperate
with law enforcement and security agencies, whenever called upon to provide
documents and records to aid their investigations on matters
Post a Comment