By Gabriel Dike
The management of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has honoured the invitation extended to it by the House Committee on Basic Education and Examination Bodies to explain the circumstances that led to students writing English Language paper 2 late in the night.
WAEC Head of National Office (HNO), Dr. Amos Dangut, appeared before the House Committee alongside two senior management staff to explain how English Language paper 2 was compromised three days before the exam was written.
The House Committee chairman, Hon Oboku Abonsizibe Oforji and his members demanded an explanation on what led to SS111 students to write English Language paper 2, late and in some cases in the darkness.
Oforji described the sitting as a national assignment meant to find answers to what happened on Wednesday, May 28th and check future occurrences.
Dangut told the committee that the council planned to conduct hitch-free examination and necessary logistics were put in place for a smooth exercise.
He informed the committee that question papers are printed in WAEC printing press in Lagos and two other commercial presses and the papers are transported by road to the various states under strict arrangements.
Dangut explained that three days to English Language paper 2, the council received information that the paper has been compromised, which later turn out to be truth.
According to him, the council took a decision to print another set of question, which was done in Lagos for security reasons but logistics problems marred the distribution.
Amidst questions from committee members, the HNO said schools ought to make the venues conducive for the students to write their examination and that it was not the responsibility of the council to feed the students while waiting for the new question paper.
Dangut expressed the council’s apology on what happened during the conduct of English Language paper 2. He assured the committee that the incident would never occur again.
The HNO disclosed that three days before the English Language paper was to be written, the council got what looked like a compromised English Language question, which was later confirmed to be genuine.
He said the council went into action and prepared for another English Language paper 2 question and acknowledged that logistics marred the distribution in some states.
“Our preliminary findings indicate that English Language paper 2 leaked. Investigations are currently ongoing,” he stated.
He told the committee that the council has one printing press, which operates at 50 percent capacity and has contract with two commercial presses.
“We traced the source of the leakage with one of them and took immediate step to address the situation. We have instituted investigation and are in the process of taking legal action,” Dangut added.
The HNO told the committee that the council prepared for the exam to be written from 8.30am to 2.30pm and when it became apparent to change the compromised question, the management swung into action to produce new question.
Dangut denied that the students were denied access to food and toilet, adding that parents brought food for their wards.
“We have effective and efficient methods of distributing question papers. The issue of power outage was not envisaged; we expected exams to end by 2.00pm. WAEC staff met and discussed with the school management to provide light,” he added.
Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Examination Bodies, Hon. Oboku Oforji, described the committee’s sitting as an important national assignment because of the role WAEC plays in the nation’s education sector.
Oforji apologized to parents and Nigerians over the logistics problem that led to some students to write English Language paper 2 in the night.
According to him, the committee met on May 30th and demanded for explanation from the council on the conduct of English Language paper 2 and resolved to invite WAEC management.
His words: “Parents and Nigerians want to know what happened. Money was appropriated by the House of Representatives to WAEC. We want to know what led to the woefully conduct of WASSCE on Wednesday, May 28th.
“This is a sensitive matter; this committee is not sitting to victimize WAEC. Our concern is for Nigerian child to receive quality education. Our children will not write exam again in the night or darkness,” he stressed.
The chairman insisted the committee wants to find out the truth from WAEC and ensure the incident does not happen again.
Committee members tackled WAEC management on the incident and demanded a firm commitment that Nigerian children will never write exams in darkness again.