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By Gabriel Dike
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has condemned the reactions of some state governments and stakeholders questioning sanctions meted on erring candidates, schools, and persons involved in examination malpractice.
However, the Nigerian Examinations Committee (NEC) has vowed to continue to sanction candidates, schools and persons involved in exam fraud, no matter whose Ox is gored.
The council took the decision at the 73rd meeting of NEC held in Lagos from Thursday, 7th to Friday, 8th April 2022.
The communique of NEC meeting signed by the acting Head, Public Affairs, Mrs. Moyosola Adeyegbe, stated that WAEC should be allowed to continue the job of providing quality assessment to the Nigerian child without any hindrance.
It warned: “Every attempt to intimidate and harass the West African Examinations Council in the course of executing its mandate is condemnable and stands condemned.
“All states, schools and individuals should continue to respect and oby the impartial decisions of NEC for the benefit of education in Nigeria.
“Cases of harassment of WAEC state officials by agents of state governments should be reported to the Minister of Education.”
According to the communique, NEC commended the council for the thorough investigations it conducted on reported malpractice cases presented during the meeting.
The committee also applauded the ministries of education in some states which sanctioned erring invigilators and supervisors reported to have been involved or aided examination malpractice of any kind.
“In the course of considering the various reported cases of malpractice, the committee, approved appropriate sanctions in established cases of malpractice as prescribed by the rules and regulations governing the conduct of examinations.”
The committee also authorized that the entire results of candidates proven to have been involved in malpractice cases be cancelled while subject results of others found wanting were equally cancelled.
The communique disclosed that some candidates were barred from sitting for the council examinations for two years.
NEC also approved that centers involved in mass cheating be derecognised while some supervisors that were found wanting in the discharge of their exam duties be reported to their employers and blacklisted.
