From Wilson Okereke, Afikpo
The West African Examination Council (WAEC) and the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), yesterday confirmed payment of fees for 1,007 candidates sitting for this year’s examinations by the member representing Ikwo/Ezza South Federal Constituency, Ebonyi State, Chinedu Ogah.
The Ebonyi State Controller of WAEC, Mrs. Gloria Mgbike, said the council received over N13 million for 507 candidates by Ogah, while the state Coordinator of JAMB, Mrs. Doris Enoch, disclosed that N3.8million was paid for 500 candidates for the UTME by the lawmaker.
Mgbike and Enoch spoke at Girls High School, Agubia, in Ikwo Local Government Area of the state during the distribution of cheques to the two examination bodies for the benefiting candidates.
They lauded Ogah for the gesture and urged the lucky candidates to study hard and make him proud.
Mgbike said: “This year, a lot of students benefited from the payment of WAEC fees by Hon. Chinedu Ogah.
“The woman in charge of his foundation came in January to inform us that he is ready to register his constituents this year, and I want to confirm that 507 candidates benefitted. He paid to WAEC over N13million.”
Also, Enoch said that her office got invitation indicating that the legislator was going to pay JAMB fees for 500 candidates.
“We, the parents that are here today know that a JAMB form costs N7,700. If you multiply it by 500 candidates, you will know that it’s over N3.8million.
“If everybody is doing the way he is doing, the state will develop more than what it is today,” she stated.
The state chairman of Secondary Education Board, Mrs. Lilian Nwankwo and chairman of Ezza South LGA, Mrs. Euphemia Nwali, commended the lawmaker.
Handing over the cheques to the benefiting schools, Ogah warned their heads against collecting monies from the state government for the beneficiaries.
He threatened to arrest and prosecute any school head who collect WAEC fees from the government on the candidates he paid their fees.
He noted that he decided to issue cheques to the examination bodies and not giving cash to the beneficiaries this year to avoid misusing the monies the way some of them did in the past.
The lawmaker also issued cheques of N454,800 and N254,000 respectively, to public and private schools as miscellaneous fees for the two examinations.