ABUJA- Some candidates who sat for the 2023 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, WASSCE were left in shock on Monday, August 7, after the body released results for the year but withheld theirs on grounds that the state where they sat for the examination owed the board billions of Naira.
Findings later showed that the examination body decided to withhold the results of eight states who are owing them billions of Naira.
Students who went on the examination board’s site to check for their result were surprised to see ”Indebted” written all over the subjects they sat for in the examination.
Speaking at a press briefing on Monday August 7 in Lagos, the Head of National Office, Patrick Areghan, while giving details of the results of the examination concluded 44 days ago, said withholding the results of candidates of the indebted states will force the states to pay their debts. Areghan mentioned Zamfara and Niger as the highest debtors. He, however, declined to mention the remaining states.
While Areghan also did not give the amount the states owe individually and collectively, it was gathered that it runs into hundreds of millions of naira.
“However, Zamfara and Niger states are the highest debtors. Again, Zamfara did not present any candidate for this year’s WASSCE. Candidates who have fulfilled their financial obligations to the Council can access their results on the Council’s website: www.waecdirect.org. After accessing their results, candidates can visit www.waec.org to confirm, share and download digital copies of their certificates! Copies of the Result Listing will be sent to schools shortly.
I need to restate that the results of candidates sponsored by states indebted to the Council will not be released now until they pay up. We appeal to them to do so to enable the affected schools/candidates to access their results.” he said.
He explained that out of a total of 1,613,733 candidates that sat for the examination, 1,361,608 candidates, representing 84.38 per cent, obtained credit and above in a minimum of any five subjects, while 1,287,920, candidates, representing 79.81 per cent, obtained credits and above in a minimum of five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.
A Nigerian man who went on the website to check his brother’s result, shared a screenshot showing the board had withheld the result on grounds of debt the state where his brother sat for the exam, owed the examination board.
