WAEC Denies Receiving Bribes From Akwa Ibom Gov To Stop Certificate Forgery Investigation

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has denied reports that it perverted the course of justice by allegedly conniving with some politicians.

The politicians, according to the allegations, were those whose election victories in the last general elections were being challenged in court by their opponents.

An online newspaper (not THE WHISTLER) had reported that top WAEC directors at the Yaba office allegedly received huge sums of money in several installments through cronies of the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, as bribes for concealing and doctoring information on Eno’s WAEC records.

But WAEC, in a statement by Mrs. Moyosola Adesina, Acting Head of Public Affairs of the council, issued to newsmen on Thursday in Lagos, dismissed such reports as malicious, wicked and misleading.

“Recently, the Nigerian press has been awash with stories of attempts by WAEC to pervert the course of justice by allegedly conniving with some highly placed persons, whose electoral victories in the last national elections are being challenged in court by their opponents.

“These reports even alleged that “top WAEC Directors” at the Yaba office, received huge sums of money in several tranches to conceal and doctor information on WAEC records concerning some defendants.

“The reports went on to say that WAEC has been complicit in denying all litigants access to examination records, in proof of their cases in court.

“It also bogusly claimed that an investigative agency had gone to Ghana and completed investigations while efforts to do so in Nigeria, were blocked by some WAEC officials.

“These reports are all baseless, malicious and misleading. We must guide against the bastardisation of assessment and the destruction of education in the country.

“When people who are not in charge of examinations and do not have the expertise and records of relevant documents and information try to hijack the mandate of a time-tested organisation, it portends danger,” she said.

She noted that such trend could further destroy the efforts by government in fixing the education sector.

According to her, WAEC deserves accolades for holding on as a colossus for the past 71 years.

She described those who query its integrity as ‘desperadoes’, who simply want things in their favour at all costs.

Adesina regretted the development, noting that sadly enough, the same people were proud holders of the WAEC certificates.

She noted that ordinarily, council would have ignored all the malicious allegations, but decided to do some clarifications and enlightenment, for the benefit of the Nigerian public and for the sake of assessment and education, generally, in Nigeria.

“WAEC is an international examination body with a clear mandate to conduct examinations in the public interest and award certificates, and it has been doing so since 1952, without any integrity issues. Its certificates are recognised and acceptable all over the world.

“WAEC is a legal entity that can sue and be sued. It is a law-abiding organisation with absolute respect for the judiciary. It will, therefore, always appear in court whenever subpoenaed and obey any valid order arising there from.

“This is the era of politics. WAEC has been subpoenaed on several occasions to appear in court to confirm the authenticity of WAEC results, certificates, or documents tendered by some litigants and we have always done so.

“For record purposes and the benefit of the Nigerian public, WAEC Ghana has nothing to do with the results of Nigerian candidates, just as Nigeria does not have anything to do with the results of Ghanaian candidates, even though we administer the same international examinations,” she noted.

She argued that for reports to say that some investigating agencies had gone to Ghana and had concluded investigation on a matter in Nigeria, is false.

According to her, there is no way the Ghana office, or even the headquarters, can speak on a matter they know nothing about, adding that no member country has other member countries’ results, records and documents.

Adesina denied other reports that alleged that WAEC had been complicit in denying all litigants access to examination records in proof of their cases in court.

She said that the examination body had always and would continue to cooperate with law enforcement and security agencies, whenever called upon to provide documents and records to aid their investigations on matters.