By Gloria Ikibah
The House of Representatives has queried the Head of National Office of the West African Examination Council (WAEC) Nigeria, Josiah Dangut, over N6 billion deficit incurred by the agency in 2023.
Dangut who appeared before the House Committee on Basic Examination Bodies on Tuesday in Abuja, at an investigative hearing, was accompanied by the Registrar; Angus Okeleze, Senior Deputy Registrar; Victor Odu, Acting Director of Finance; Segun Jerumeh, Deputy Director of Finance, WAEC.
The Committee also quizzed the examination body over a loan of N5 billion it acquired in 2022 for the purchase of customised calculator.
Dangut provided the cashbook of the Agency to the Committee, but they declined, insisting that the bank statement must be submit.
Following the unsatisfactory response by the WAEC Representatives, the Committee Chaired by Rep. Oboku Oforji resolved that WAEC must submit all its bank statements from 2018 till date within a week.
A member of the Committee, Rep. Awaji-Inombek Abiante, described WAEC as uncooperative, saying they must be held accountable.
“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,” he said.
The Committee expressed displeasure that out of eight submissions demanded from the examination to probe their expenditure, it only submitted one, which was the nominal roll.
The Committee Chairman however demanded they should explain how WAEC generated N34 billion in 2023 but spent N40 billion.
Rep. Oforji also wondered how the examination body could approve a loan of N5 billion when even a Ministerial Board could not approve such amount.
He further queried the WAEC boss on the number of students that participated in the 2022 elections which made them to acquire the calculators.
The Committee alsodemanded that WAEC must provide the expenditures that have led to the N6 billion deficits and all correspondence related to the purchase of customised calculators.
It said evidence of approval for the N5 billion loan to purchase the customized calculators must be provided.
The Committee also demanded for evidence of due process followed for the award of the contract as well as evidence of payment, including payment vouchers and bank records.
The Committee also requested for evidence of submission of accounts to the Auditor General for the Federation from 2018 to 2023; and the profile of the external auditor for the agency and the engagement letters for the past three years.
The Committee also queried WAEC for breaching the financial, public procurement and the financial regulations Acts over the payment of 50 per cent of the contract for the construction of its Taraba state office worth N532 million.
Dangut who pleaded with the lawmakers to give him another date to enable him present the statement of account and other documents requested, explained that he had to pay 50 per cent of the Taraba office contract sum to avoid the astronomical rise on the inflationary trend in the country.
Rep. Oforji said the Committee on Basic Education Examination Bodies is not a witch-hunting committee but is focused on fulfilling its constitutional obligations as outlined in the constitution.
“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,” he said.