The House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Examination Bodies has given the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) a 24-hour ultimatum to appear before it Friday to address concerns surrounding its ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
Chairman of the committee, Hon. Oboku Abonsizibe Oforji, issued the ultimatum Thursday following WAEC’s failure to honour an earlier invitation to appear before the panel Thursday, to provide explanations over widespread complaints and irregularities observed during the ongoing examinations.
The lawmaker in a statement expressed disappointment at WAEC’s absence during the scheduled hearing, describing it as unacceptable given the scale of public outcry over the conduct of the exams.
“The examinations have been riddled with serious irregularities. We’ve received reports of students writing exams as late as midnight in some centres across the country.
“The House felt it necessary to summon WAEC to explain these developments and the trauma candidates are currently facing. However, WAEC responded this morning, saying they couldn’t appear due to their involvement in the ongoing exams. Ironically, this is the very reason we are asking them to appear.
“Our intention is not to witch-hunt WAEC but to seek answers that will calm public tension and prevent a recurrence of these challenges. WAEC has been conducting exams for decades, and we have never experienced this level of disorganisation,” he said.