N6bn deficit scandal rocks WAEC, Reps angry, issue query

The House of Representatives Committee on Basic Examination Bodies, has queried Head of National Office of the West African Examination Council (WAEC) Nigeria, Josiah Dangut, over a reported six billion Naira deficit incurred in 2023.

The Committee also grilled the examination body over a loan of N5 billion it got in 2022 for the purchase of customised calculators for candidates

Dangut who was accompanied by the Registrar; Angus Okeleze, Senior Deputy Registrar; Victor Odu, Acting Director of Finance; Segun Jerumeh, Deputy Director of Finance of the examination body provided the cashbook of the Agency to the Committee, but was asked to supply the bank statements instead.

Following the unsatisfactory response by the WAEC Representatives, the Committee headed by Hon Oboku Oforji resolved that WAEC must submit all its bank statements from 2018 till date within a week.

A member of the Committee, 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.

Dangut who pleaded with the lawmakers to give him another date to enable him present the statement of account and other documents demanded, explaining that he had to pay 50 percent of the Taraba office contract sum to avoid the astronomical rise on the inflationary trend in the country.