By Pathfinder Reporter
Wednesday August 21, 2024
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Candidates in the states owing the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) are yet to know their fates weeks after the examination body released the results of the 2024 West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
WAEC has vowed not to release the results of the candidates in such debtor states until the debts have been paid.
The parents and the affected candidates are in a state of distress as the future of the affected candidates appears shaky.
The debt, which allegedly amounts to billions of Naira, has led to the delay in the release of results, causing anxiety and uncertainty among students and parents.
This delay threatens to derail students’ admissions to higher institutions, creating widespread frustration.
Students and parents in Lagos, Ogun, and other states are grappling with increasing frustration. This situation has heightened concerns about missing crucial university admission deadlines.
In Lagos, a man who simply identified himself as Mr. Tunde, whose child sat the examination at Epe Senior Grammar School, in Epe, Lagos expressed his frustration after the school refused to accept his offer to pay for the exam directly so he could get his daughter’s results.
“I was ready to pay for my child’s exam, but the school refused to collect the money,” Mr. Tunde told FTN.
The school cited the state government’s failure to settle some outstanding fees as the reason why WAEC has refused to upload the results.
Other Lagos schools yet to get the WASCCE results, FTN investigation revealed are Odomola Secondary School, Epe; Okemagba Senior High School, Epe; Ogunmodede Senior College. Papa, Epe; St. Patrick Senior School, Epe; and Army Senior High School, Epe. Others are Wahab Folawiyo Comprehensive High School, Lagos Island; Boys Senior Gramm School, Lagos Island; and Girls Senior Grammar School, Lagos Island.
In Ogun State, a parent identified as “Mummy Twins,” whose child attended Iganmode Grammar School 2 in Ota, Ogun State, is distressed over her twin daughters’ withheld results. Despite numerous attempts to resolve the issue, WAEC has yet to release the results.
“I’m worried and frustrated that I can’t access my children’s results. As a parent, it’s disturbing to be kept in the dark about their performance,” she lamented.
Mrs. Bamidele, whose children attend Pakoto High School in Ayede, Ifo, also voiced her frustration.
Despite providing all necessary documentation and meeting the school’s requirements, she was shocked to find that her children remained inaccessible. “I did everything the school asked me to do, and I have evidence of everything,” Mrs. Bamidele said. “But now, WAEC is saying that my children can’t see their results. It’s not fair.”
Other children in private schools have already received their results and are moving on with their lives. My children are being left behind.” It is not clear if Mrs. Bamidele’s inability to access the children’s results is because Ogun State has yet to pay for its public school candidates.
Unfortunately, WAEC is not helping matters as it has refused to mention the names of states still owing the organization on account of which some results are withheld.
The delay is taking a toll on students as well.
Adebowale Bukola from Iganmode Grammar School is anxiously waiting for her results while her peers from other schools, especially private schools, have already received theirs.
Olatunji David from Pakoto High School is similarly distressed, unable to proceed with his plans despite his diligent preparation for the exams.
WAEC’s Head of Public Relations and Corporate Affairs, Moyo Adeyegbe explained that results are withheld until states fulfill their financial obligations to the council but could not specify which states are affected.
According to her, some states do part-payment but said results are only released for states that have completed their financial obligations.
She explained that results are released as payments are received. FTN learned that Ondo State students got their results on Monday, showing that the state just completed its payment to the council.
Lagos Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, while reacting to the incident, said that Lagos State does not owe WAEC, asserting that the state settled its fees to the council in March.
“Lagos is not owing WAEC. Such rumors are peddled every year, but there is nothing to them,” Omotoso stated. He challenged anyone with contrary evidence to present it.
Also, the spokesperson for the Lagos Ministry of Education, Genius Lawal, reiterated that the state government is not in arrears with WAEC, having paid over N1.5 billion before the examination began. “We pay examination fees of all our public school students every year without default, we paid over N1.5bn this year,” the Ministry said.
Asked why students’ results are still withheld despite payment of WASCCE fees by a state like Lagos for example, WAEC’s PRO said she could not provide the list of states still indebted to the council because it was beyond the purview of her job.
Besides, she explained that there are other terms of engagement between the council and the states, noting that only the Head of WAEC Nigeria has full details of the contracts with state governments and the reasons behind the delays.
Unfortunately, the head of WAEC in Nigeria, she said, is currently out of the country and could not be reached to provide further details.
She, however, assured that results would be released as soon as the states meet their financial obligations.
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