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Tag: WAEC

  • WAEC gets new Registrar

    WAEC gets new Registrar

    The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has appointed Mr Pateh Bah, from the Gambia, as its new Registrar/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for a five-year tenure.

    A statement by Mr Abiodun Aduloju, Director of Public Affairs at WAEC Headquarters, Accra, Ghana, said the appointment took effect from October 2019 to September 2024.

    Bah succeeds Dr Iyi Uwadiae, immediate past Registrar to council from Nigeria, whose tenure ended on Sept. 30.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Uwadiae became registrar to council in 2012 and served his mandatory five-year tenure which was eventually extended by council for two more years.

    The new WAEC registrar is a graduate of Pune University, Maharashtra, India from where he obtained a Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1997.

    He also holds various postgraduate and professional qualifications from other institutions in India and the UK.

    According to the statement, Bah worked briefly with the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture, Banjul, the Gambia from 1990 to 1991 before joining the service of WAEC at its Gambia National Office on October 9, 1991.

    “His appointment to the position of the 13th Registrar was ratified by the Council – the International Governing Board of WAEC – at its 67th annual meeting held in Freetown, Sierra Leone in March 2019.

    “Bah has made appreciable contribution to the development of education. He was a member of the Governing Boards of the Gambia Technical Training Institute and the Gambia National Accreditation and Quality Assurance Authority.

    “He has served as Chairman, Audit Committee of the International Association for Educational Assessment (IAEA) and also currently the treasurer of the Association for Educational Assessment in Africa (AEAA).

  • Tribunal Drama! WAEC official disowns Buhari's Cambridge result

    Tribunal Drama! WAEC official disowns Buhari's Cambridge result

    A West African Examination Council official, Osidehinde Adewunmi, on Wednesday, disowned the Cambridge University’s Moderated International Examination credentials produced by President Muhammadu Buhari and tendered as exhibits before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja.
    The two documents earlier admitted as Exhibits 19 and 21 were Buhari’s statement of results and the broadsheet for the results of the 18 candidates who sat for the examinations in 1961.
    The Deputy Registrar, School Examinations in Nigeria, of WAEC, who appeared before the tribunal on a subpoena, testified before the five-man tribunal led by Justice Mohammed Garba, as Buhari’s fourth defence witness on Wednesday.
    He appeared in the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, challenging Buhari’s victory at the February 23, 2019 poll.
    Part of the grounds of the petition was that Buhari lacked the educational qualification to contest the election.
    When cross-examined by the counsel for the All Progressives Congress, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Adewunmi said he, as a WAEC official, certified one of the documents bearing the name of the University of Cambridge Moderated Examination earlier tendered as Exhibit marked R21.
    The witness, who said he had been working with WAEC for about 30 years, told the tribunal that the examination was conducted by Cambridge University in conjunction with WAEC.
    He confirmed that 18 persons sat for the examinations in 1961, adding that Buhari was listed as number two on the list of candidates for the examination.
    He confirmed that Buhari sat for eight subjects and had five credits in the examination – Oral English, C5; History, A3; Geography, C6; Hausa, C5; and Health Science, C6.
    “He came out with aggregate of 32 and he was awarded Grade 2,” he confirmed.
    When asked, he confirmed that “whoever has this (the R21 exhibit) has secondary education”.
    Under cross-examination by the petitioners’ lawyer, Livy Uzoukwu (SAN), Adewunmi was asked if Exhibit R19 was a certificate, he said, “I cannot say whether it is a certificate because my signature is not on the certificate. It is not bearing my name or the name of my organisation”.

    Asked again, the witness said, “This document is bearing the name of Cambridge University Assessment International Education”.
    Asked if the document was issued by WAEC, he said, “It is not a document from the West Africa Examination Council”.
    Asked about Exhibit R21, he said, “This is the foundation, the primary foundation for issuance of a certificate.”
    The witness was also asked if the document was a certificate.
    “This is not a certificate,” the witness answered.
    When asked, he also said, “I have never worked with the University of Cambridge”.
    In his bid to point out out contradictions in the two documents, the petitioners’ lawyers asked the witness to compare the number of subjects listed against Buhari in them.
    The witness confirmed that in R21, “The number of subjects listed against the 2nd respondent (Buhari) is eight”, and in R19 “six subjects”.
    He also confirmed that the first name on the two documents was “Mohamed” and as against the President’s “Muhammad”.
    He also confirmed that WAEC registrar, Dr. Iyi Uwadae, issued a WAEC attestation certificate to Buhari on November 2, 2018.
    He disagreed with the petitioners’ lawyer that issuance of an attestation certificate was not limited to cases of loss or misplacement.

  • BREAKING: WAEC releases 2019 May/June examination results

    The West African Examination Council (WAEC) have released the May/June 2019 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results.
    TNG reports that the results was released online on Friday (today).
    The Head of Public Affairs of the examination body, Demianus Ojijeogu had on Thursday given a hint on the release of the results.
    “Candidates who are not indebted to the council will be able to access and check their results online, using the result checker PIN on their smart identity cards used during the conduct of the examination,” he said.
    More details later…

  • JUST IN: WAEC confirms authenticity of Gov AbdulRazaq’s result

    JUST IN: WAEC confirms authenticity of Gov AbdulRazaq’s result

    West African Examinations Council (WAEC) on Thursday officially confirmed that Kwara state Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq sat for its secondary school leaving examination in 1976 at the Government College Kaduna.
    The council also confirmed he sat for the exams using Razaq A.R. as contained in the credentials the governor repeatedly submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) when contesting for elections.
    The confirmations were contained in the certified true copy of the results of the governor and other candidates of the same set that the examination body forwarded to the Kwara state Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Ilorin.
    The tribunal is chaired by Justice Bassey Efiong.
    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its March 9th, 2019 governorship candidate in the state Razaq Atunwa are challenging the election of AbdulRazaq on the allegation that he did not have WAEC results as required under the law.
    The WAEC document, which is the statement of result and numbered exhibit P3B, was presented by Olorunsola Victor O., a senior examination officer with the Ilorin office of the regional body.
    The witness, during cross examination, also confirmed to the tribunal that at least 31 other candidates had their names abbreviated, putting to rest claims by the PDP that the WAEC did not allow abbreviations during that time.
    Asked if it would be a horrible lie for anyone to claim that AbdulRazaq did not write the exam, the witness said “yes”.
    The CTC of the result was signed by Oshindehinde HSA, WAEC deputy registrar, School Examinations Department on behalf of Head of national Office of the body, Olu I. Adenipekun.
    The result was presented following a subpeona of the tribunal at the behest of the PDP.
    The cross examination was preceded by a mild drama at the tribunal when Paul Erokoro (SAN), counsel to the PDP Governorship Candidate Razak Atunwa, disowned the representative of the WAEC just minutes after he vehemently fought to have him testify at the tribunal.
    Erokoro turned 360 degrees after the witness presented the two subpeonas the tribunal had earlier addressed to WAEC along with a CTC of the Secondary School Certificate Examination result of the Governor.
    Rather than proceed to have the witness testify to the tribunal, Erokoro said he no longer agreed that the witness had truly come to represent the examination body because the subpeonas did not contain any minute suggesting he had been asked to represent the WAEC.
    “We don’t accept this witness as coming from WAEC because there’s no minute on the subpeona that he’s from WAEC. We can’t take his ID as evidence that he’s from WAEC. WAEC should send a witness with instructions to testify on its behalf. We shall therefore be applying for a bench warrant for the head of WAEC to appear before this tribunal,” Erokoro said.
    Counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission Rowland Otaru (SAN); Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Kunle Kalejaiye SAN and APC, Akin Olujimi SAN, all objected to the application.
    They insisted the witness had been sworn on oath and had given his evidence and so must be cross-examined accordingly.
    The tribunal, in its ruling, rejected the PDP’s application on the grounds that there was no sufficient evidence to say that the witness did not come from WAEC.
    “We recall that the (witness) was presented by petitioners as WAEC representative. He’s been sworn on oath that he’s WAEC representative. He has presented his ID. He said he’s here to present the document based on the subpeona. All of these constituted evidence and there was no accusation of any sort against (this witness),” according to Justice Effiong.
    “The only disagreement of the petitioners is that there is no minutes on the subpeona introducing him. We hold that this is not sufficient to order warrant against WAEC, especially that sufficient time had been given for this document to come.
    “This witness has given evidence on oath and he must be cross-examined. All of his testimonies on oath are on our record.
    “If the petitioners’ only argument is about minutes and not necessarily the genuineness of the subpeona or document attached thereto then we refuse this application of the petitioners for bench warrant (on WAEC)
    “We hold that the witness’s evidence be continued or if it is concluded, then he must be cross-examined.”
    The case has been adjourned to July 23 for the respondents to open their defense.

  • We’ll no longer reissue misplaced, stolen certificates – WAEC warns

    Owners of West African Examinations Council (WAEC) certificates have been advised to guard them well. The body said on Sunday it will not re-issue on account of misplacement, fire, flood or theft.

    The council’s Head of National Office, Mr. Olu Adenipekun, said the advice became necessary as lots of people have been approaching the council at various times for a re-issue of the lost certificates.

    He said: “Let me make it clear that in the real sense of it, our certificates are issued only once, irrespective of who is involved or the circumstance that led to the misplacement, and that remains the truth of the matter.

    “We do not issue our West African Senior School Certificates Examination (WASSCE) twice.

    “But, if we have such cases of theft, fire, flood and others, as it concerns these certificates, yes, in reaction to our operational environment, we can consider the issuance of an ‘attestation certificate.

    “About five years ago, the council, that is, the highest governing body met and took a decision on this, stressing that there is no test body that issues two of its certificates to a single candidate in one examination.

    “But, if a candidate should experience such losses through fire, flood or theft and can provide all the necessary proofs required to that effect, that will show such things actually happened to his or her certificate, there are certain steps such candidates are expected to take before approaching the council for further action.”

    The WAEC chief explained that after all such processes had been satisfactorily concluded then, the council would consider the issuance of “Attestation Certificate”.

    “It is this certificate that we give out, and not re-issuance of another certificate. This is what we have been doing for the past five years now.

    “We have many Nigerians who have benefitted from this, because it is like a replacement of the real certificate. These people who have benefitted from this come from all the stratum of the society,” Adenipekun said.

    According to him, in an effort to reduce the incidence of certificates loss and protection, the council in Nigeria, four years ago introduced what it called certificate cover.

    He explained that one of the ways candidates or perons get their certificates destroyed was majorly in an attempt to laminate them.

    “It has been discovered that quite a large number of people rush off to business centres immediately after collecting their WASSCE certificates, and in an attempt to get them laminated, they are destroyed in the process.”

    Adenipekun said that the council’s non-sticky certificate covers were unique and protective, even if when submerged in water.

    He added that these were parts of the innovations the council introduced over the years in an attempt to serve the public well.

  • PDP replies Keyamo over ‘no need for WAEC certificate’ to rule Nigeria statement

    PDP replies Keyamo over ‘no need for WAEC certificate’ to rule Nigeria statement

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has called out President Muhammadu Buhari to tender his West African School Certificate(WASC) to the presidential election petitions tribunal.

    This is coming after, Festus Keyamo who served as the official spokesman for the re-election bid of the President said Buhari doesn’t need a WAEC certificate to be eligible to contest in the February 2019 presidential election.

    According to the PDP, President Buhari should tender the WAEC certificate he claimed he has to the presidential election petition tribunal instead of allowing his campaign spokesperson, Festus Keyamo, to insult the sensibility of Nigerians with lame attempt at diversionary tactics.

    The party also called on Nigerians to note that by claiming that an aspirant does not need WAEC certificate, but the ability to speak English to contest for the office of the President indicates that Buhari Presidency, through Festus Keyamo, has finally admitted that President Buhari does not have a WAEC certificate as he claimed in his INEC resume.

    A statement released and signed by PDP’s spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan read: ”The PDP says it is incompletely unacceptable for President Buhari to swear to an affidavit to claim the educational qualification he does not possess.

    ”An attempt to deceive the public using a defective reading and skewed interpretation of a section of the constitution cannot exonerate President Buhari.

    “Moreover, Section 295 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) is very clear on issues of interpretations and reference to questions of law.

    “The PDP, therefore, maintains that the onus is on President Buhari, as ‘Mr. Integrity’ to tender the certificate he claims to possess before the tribunal instead of this lame diversion from Presidential aide.”

  • JAMB clears air on ‘clash’ between UTME, WAEC timetables

    The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says there is no clash between its timetable and that of the West African Examination Council (WAEC) as being widely speculated and criticised.

    The JAMB Registrar, Is’haq Oloyede, said at an interactive session with Editors in Lagos on Tuesday, that there was no basis for such speculation because the organisation was holding annual meetings with the examination bodies to reconcile areas of interest.

    “We meet annually with WAEC, NECO and others to reconcile because we have the same target of education development,’’ he said.

    He said those attacking him and the system out of ignorance would not succeed in distracting him from pursuing the target of ensuring national development through sound education for Nigerians.

    He explained that government slashed the registration fees for candidates from N5,000 based on advice from the Board, an action he said would encourage registration of more candidates for higher education and eventual national development.

    Mr Oloyede enumerated various measures inimical to education development, including multiple registration, abuse of biometric system and other forms of corruption in the system.

    The registrar said JAMB, under his leadership, was determined to clean the system with legitimate approach.

  • Certificate forgery: Court nullifies nomination of Adeleke for Osun guber poll

    Certificate forgery: Court nullifies nomination of Adeleke for Osun guber poll

    An Abuja High Court on Tuesday nullified the nomination of Senator Ademola Adeleke as candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the September 2018 Governorship election in Osun State.

    Two Chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Wahab Raheem and Adam Habeeb, had in 2018 barely few days to the governorship election in Osun State had dragged Adeleke to court, accusing him of not possessing the requisite educational qualification (secondary school certificate) to contest for the office of governor.

    They prayed the court for an order to disqualify Adeleke from participating in the Sept 22 governorship election in the state on the grounds that he does not possess the requisite educational qualification.

    Delivering judgment in the suit, Justice Justice Oathman Musa annulled Adeleke’s nomination on the grounds that Adeleke offended section 177 of the 1999 constitution as amended. The section stipulated that candidates for the position of governor must be educated up to secondary school level.

    Justice Musa said while the court’s findings showed that Adeleke entered secondary school in 1976, there was no record to show that he actually graduated as his name was no longer seen in the school’s register from 1980.

    He further stated that the result Adeleke attached to his form CF001 which he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was fake, as it was found to be different from the one presented to the court by the principal of Ede Muslim High School, Ede, Osun State.

    Meanwhile, Adeleke’s lawyer Nathaniel Oke SAN has faulted the judgment of Justice Musa on the grounds that the judge erred in law by going out of the way to source for evidence to arrive at his “unjust conclusion”.

    He submitted that the court erred particularly when it ignored WAEC evidence that Adeleke was educated up to Secondary School level as required by law.

    While he disclosed that they will immediately commence filing of their appeal against the Judgment, the senior lawyer expressed confidence that the judgment cannot stand at Appeal Court.

    Thisday recalled that the West African Examination Council (WAEC) during the court’s proceedings confirmed that Adeleke sat for the May/June examination of the council in 1981.

    The council in an affidavit deposed to by one Osindeinde Adewunmi and filed at the registry of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court confirmed that Adeleke sat for the Senior Secondary School exams in May/ June 1981.

    The confirmation was contained in a four paragraph affidavit filed in compliance with the order of Justice Oathman Musa requesting the examination body to confirm whether the governorship candidate sat for the 1981 exams.

    Justice Musa, had in a ruling delivered on September 11 directed that WAEC should depose an affidavit, to either deny or confirm that Adeleke sat for the Exams the Council conducted at Ede Muslim High School in Ede, Osun State, in 1981.

    It equally said the examination body should file the ledger containing results of Ademola and his mates with whom he sat for the examinations, as well the verifying affidavit, within five days of being served with the enrolled order dated September 11.

    WAEC however in the sworn affidavit confirmed that, Adeleke with center number 19645 and candidate number 149 indeed sat for the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination in May/June 1981 conducted by the council at Ede Muslim School situate at P.O. Box 6 Yidi Road, Ede, State of Osun.

    Accompanying the affidavit was a ledger containing the result of all candidates (001-221) who sat for the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination in the said school.

    The certified true copy of the ledger which is marked as exhibit WA1, however showed that Senator Adeleke, sat for only English Language in the examination.

    In arguing their case the plaintiffs, through their counsel, Bankole Akomolafe, on Sept 11 claimed that the PDP candidate did not sit for the WAEC examination in 1981 because the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination had not been introduced in the country as at then.

    They further alleged that the NECO examination he claimed to have sat for could not be genuine because National Examination Council (NECO) had not been established at the time Adeleke claimed to have sat for the examination.

  • WAEC de-recognises 13 schools, warns 56 others

    The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has de-recognised 13 secondary schools and warns 56 others in Kogi for their involvement in examination malpractice during the 2018 West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE).

    Mr Ademu Amos, WAEC Desk Officer, Kogi Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, disclosed this at a meeting with the principals, vice Principals and examination officers of the affected schools on Thursday in Lokoja.

    Amos said that 13 secondary schools were de-recognised while 56 others were seriously warned by the council due to examination malpractice.

    He noted that the state government was not happy about the development, describing it as a serious issue that could dampen the hope of a nation.

    According to Amos, the Examination Malpractices Act No. 33 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), offenders are liable to four years imprisonment and a fine of N100, 000 per student and N250, 000 per school.

    Amos explained that the major offences committed ranged from the use of mobile phones and sameness of work by copying one another in the examination.

    Dr Natty Bobai, WAEC Branch Controller in the state, said it had zero tolerance for examination malpractice and would do everything to curtail the menace.

    He, however, commended the commissioner for tackling issues bordering on examination headlong and commended her resolve to stand with the council for what it stood for.

    Amos also urged the stakeholders to join hands with the council in stamping out the menace of examination malpractice in the nation’s education sector.

    Mrs Rosemary Osikoya, the state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, reiterated the commitment of the state government to reduce examination malpractice to its barest minimum in the state.

    Osikoya stressed the need for stiffer penalties as prescribed by law and other stringent measures to curb the menace in the state.

    She noted that 47 secondary schools were de-recognised and 108 warned in 2017, while 13 schools were de-recognised and 56 warned in 2018.

    She said the state government had been able to reduce the trend to 27. 6 per cent for de-recognition, 50.9 per cent warned, while 1.38 per cent were indicted.

    She restated the commitment of the state government in restoring standard and quality education in schools across the state.

    She, however, urged all the school operators, both private and public, to visit the ministry’s website and update their school profiles and records not later than March 31.

    ”All the de-recognised schools will not be used as examinations centres in 2019, and their names will be sent to the police for prosecution according to the existing law.

    ”We have strengthened the policy structure in education in the state and emphasised the importance of record keeping in schools,” Osikoya said.

    Dr Ajole Goswins, the State President of All Nigeria Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), who spoke on behalf of the principals, expressed disappointment over the re-appearance of some schools on examination malpractice list.

    ”The state government is doing its best and we must complement its efforts. We cannot allow this to continue, we must improve on ourselves,’’ he said.

    He, therefore, appealed to the state government to checkmate the proliferation of substandard private schools in the state.

    The de-recognised schools include: Jama’atu Nasril Islam Sec. Sch, Ankpa, Christ the King College, Govt. Girls Sec. Sch, Okaba, Ikah Comm. Sec. Sch, Ikah, Iyale Comm. Sec. Sch, Iyale, and Aitam Science Academy, Anyigba.

    Others are: Al-Ansar Sec. Sch, Lokoja, Bright Future Int. Sec. Sch, Obangede, Okehi, Comm. Sec. Sch, Uboro, Okehi, Paramako Sec. Sch, Ogbogbo, Omabo Comm. Sec. Sch, Omabo.

    Also, First Grade Success Academy, Okenya, and National Sec. Sch, Agala-Ate road, Anyigba.

  • WAEC: 124 inmates of Enugu Maximum Prison had credit in English, mathematics

    No fewer than 124 inmates of the Enugu Maximum Prison credited more than five subjects including English and Mathematics in the recently released 2018 November/December West African Examination Council (WAEC) results.

    Mr Monday Chukwuemeka, the Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Prisons Service, Enugu State Command made the disclosure in a statement issued in Enugu on Tuesday.

    Chukwuemeka said that the figure released by the Command Desk Officer, surpassed the feat attained by the students of the prison in 2017 when 110 made credit in the two key subjects.

    “This is another landmark achievement in educational development of the NPS inmates in the recently released 2018 WAEC (General Certificate of Education) November/December results.

    “The Controller of Prisons, Enugu State Command, Mr Ndubuisi Ogbodo is overwhelmed with joy hence showered praises on both teachers and students (inmates) of the centre for putting up a superb performance,’’ he said.

    The command spokesman encouraged the general public to stop stigmatizing ex convicts as the service had put in place various programmes to ensure they were adequately reformed.