The West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) has withheld the results of candidates from certain states that owed the examination body billions of Naira.
On Monday, August 7, students who had taken the examination were shocked to find out that their results had been withheld due to the indebtedness of their respective states.
The examination body, WASSCE, released results for the year but withheld the results of candidates from eight states that owe the board billions of Naira.
These candidates were surprised to see the word “Indebted” written across the subjects they had taken in the examination when they accessed their results on the examination board’s website.
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.
See the screenshot below;
