Reps Tell WAEC To Account For N40bn Spending Despite N34bn Income  

The House of Representatives’ Committee on Basic Examination Bodies said the West African Examination Council (WAEC) must explain how it generated N34 billion in 2023 but spent N40 billion.

The committee also gave WAEC a one-week ultimatum to submit all its bank statements from 2018 till 2023.

An investigative hearing conducted by the House Committee over the N6 billion deficit the council incurred in 2023 reached these resolutions in Abuja on Tuesday.

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

Head of WAEC in Nigeria, Josiah Dangut provided the case book of the council to the Committee, but it was rejected, insisting that the examination body must submit its bank statements.

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A member of the Committee, Hon. Awaji-Inombek Abiante (PDP, Rivers) described WAEC as uncooperative, insisting the body 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 and should submit to this committee in furtherance of this investigation, all the bank account statements of his office,” he said.

Chairman of the committee, Hon. Oboku Oforji wondered how the examination body could approve a loan of up to N5 billion when even a ministerial board could not approve such amount.

The committee demanded that WAEC must provide the expenditures that amounted to the N6 billion deficits and all correspondence related to the purchase of customised calculators.

It said evidence of approval for the N5 billion naira loan to purchase the customised 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 vouchers and bank records.

Evidence of submission of accounts to the Auditor General for the Federation from 2018 to 2023 was also demanded by the Committee including profile of the external auditor for the agency and the engagement letters for the past three years.

The Committee also queried WAEC for allegedly breaching the financial, public procurement and the financial regulations Acts over the payment of 50 percent of the contract for the construction of its Taraba State office worth N532 million.

Dangut pleaded with the lawmakers to give him another date to enable him present the statement of account and other documents demanded.

He also explained 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.

The Chairman of the Committee clarified that the committee was not out to witch-hunting, but fulfil 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,” Oforji said.