The House of Representatives Committee on Basic Examination Bodies detained four officials from the West African Examination Council (WAEC) during an investigative hearing at the National Assembly on Tuesday.
The detained officials included Amos Dangut, Head of National Office, WAEC Nigeria; Senior Deputy Registrar, Angus Okeleze; Acting Director of Finance, Victor Odu; and Deputy Director of Finance, Segun Jerumeh.
The committee’s decision followed a motion by Hon. Uchenna Okonkwo, prompted by Dangut’s assertion that WAEC is not a government agency and thus not accountable to parliament.
This statement sparked a heated debate with lawmakers insisting that WAEC Nigeria, created by an Act of the National Assembly, must account for its activities.
Lawmakers argued that WAEC’s convention mandates compliance with member countries’ legislation and highlighted that the National Assembly allocates funds to WAEC. Okonkwo moved the motion to detain the officials pending an investigation into WAEC Nigeria’s activities, which was seconded by Hon. Marie Ebikake.
The officials were detained for about 15 minutes before the committee held a brief closed-door session, resolving to release them and request the relevant documents, including audited financial statements from 2018 and details of a ₦5 billion loan obtained in 2022 for purchasing custom calculators.
Committee Chairman Hon. Oforji Oboku emphasized that WAEC is subject to Nigerian laws and must operate under the National Assembly’s oversight, rejecting the claim that WAEC is not a government agency.
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