The West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) and the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) have received over sixteen million naira from the Chinedu Ogah Foundation, a non-governmental organization, for the registration of one thousand and seven impoverished candidates in public and private schools throughout Ebonyi State.
The confirmation was given at Girls High School, Agubia, in the Ikwo local government area of the state, during the distribution of checks to the two examination bodies by Ebonyi State Controller of WAEC, Mrs. Gloria Mgbike, and the State Coordinator of JAMB, Mrs. Doris Enoch
Mgbike claims she was paid more than ₦13million for 507 WAEC registrations, whereas Mrs. Enoch claims the charity paid ₦3.8million for the registration of 500 candidates.
“I want to confirm that 507 candidates benefited from his foundation, and the woman in charge of it came to us in January to let us know that he is prepared to register his constituents this year.”
“On the 10th of this month, we got an invitation from Hon. Chinedu Ogah that he is going to pay JAMB fees for 500 candidates,” Enoch stated on her behalf.
In their separate remarks, the state chairman of the Secondary Education Board, Mrs. Lilian Nwankwo, and the chairman of the Ezza South local government, Mrs. Euphemia Nwali, commended the foundation and urged the school principals to ensure there is improvement in the teaching and learning of their students to enable them to pass with flying colors.
“We, know that a JAMB form costs ₦7,700. If you multiply it by 500 candidates, you will know that it’s over ₦3million,” the parent spoke.
But when he was distributing the cheques to the participating schools, Hon. Chinedu Ogah, the foundation’s founder and a member of the local government representing Ikwo and Ezza South, cautioned the principals against obtaining funding from the state government for the pupils who were already receiving assistance as anyone attempting to obtain any fees from the candidates would be taken into custody and legally prosecuted.
“Previously, we used to give funds to the students to register for the WAEC fees, but we found out that some of them misused the funds, this is why we decided to pay directly to WAEC this year,” stated Ogah, the Chairman of the House Committee on Reformatory Institutions. “We have 39 public secondary schools in the constituency and 29 private schools, and we have paid WAEC.”
The legislator also awarded ₦100,000 to each of his constituents’ law graduates, reimbursed payments for JAMB and WAEC paid by some of the beneficiaries, and wrote cheques for ₦454,800 and ₦254,000 to public and private schools as miscellaneous fees for the two examinations.
Governor Nwifuru, meanwhile, praised the congressman for relieving the strain on the educational system.