ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – The House of Representatives Committee on Basic Examination Bodies, yesterday, grilled officials of the West Africa Examination Council ( WAEC) over alleged expenditure on the purchase of customised calculators in 2022.
The panel also queried the examination body over the N6 billion budget deficit it incurred in the 2023 fiscal year.
Chairman of the panel, Oboku Oforji, said WAEC would have to explain to the parliament how it generated N34 billion in 2023 but spent N40 billion. He also expressed concern that the examination body could approve a loan of N5 billion, when even a Ministerial Board could not approve such an amount.
Nevertheless, he explained that the panel was not to witch-hunt anyone but to fulfill its constitutional obligation. According to him “Both the legislative house and WAEC are bound by the Constitution. As such, the committee expects full cooperation from WAEC, including the timely provision of all necessary documents to expedite our inquiry and report. “
The committee, which is investigating WAEC finances, including a N5 billion loan it obtained in 2022, had at its last hearing ordered the detention of officials of the examination body after the latter said it was not answerable to the National Assembly.
However, at the resumed hearing, yesterday, the lawmakers insisted that the WAEC must submit its financial statement from 2017 to date to the panel within seven days.
The head of the WAEC Nigeria Office, Josiah Dangut, who led the Registrar; Angus Okeleze, Senior Deputy Registrar; Victor Odu, Acting Director of Finance and Deputy Director of Finance, Segun Jerumeh, to the hearing had provided the cashbook of the Agency to the panel.
Regardless, the lawmakers insisted on the bank statement, noting that the examination body was allegedly uncooperative.
The panel expressed displeasure out of eight documents it demanded from the examination body, it only submitted one which was the nominal roll.
Consequently, the panel directed the examination body to provide evidence that followed due process in the award of contract as well as evidence of payment, including payment vouchers and bank records.
The Committee also demanded for evidence of submission of accounts to the Auditor General for the Federation from 2018 to 2023, as well as the profile of its external auditor and the engagement letters for the past three years.
A member of the Committee, Awaji-Inombek Abiante, while speaking at the hearing said WAEC must be held accountable.
According to him, “WAEC Nigeria was an uncooperative witness in this process, shielding and denying Nigerians of having value for whatever investment the country has had in that office should submit to this committee in furtherance of this investigation all the bank account statements of his office. “
Dangut appealed to the lawmakers to give him another date to enable him present the statement of account and other documents demanded.
