The House of Representatives has pledged to investigate the immediate and underlying causes of the midnight conduct of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in parts of the country.
Chairman of the House Committee on Basic Examination Bodies, Hon. Oboku Oforji, stated this during a session with officials of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) at the National Assembly complex in Abuja on Friday.
Oforji emphasised that parents deserve a clear explanation on why the safety of their children was compromised by the examination body.
The committee had earlier summoned the leadership of WAEC to account for what it described as alarming irregularities in the conduct of the ongoing examinations.
At the hearing, Oforji offered an apology to Nigerian parents and the general public for the disturbing incidents, notably the reports of exams being conducted around midnight in certain locations.
“In Jalingo, for instance, it was reported that exams began at around 12a.m. This is unacceptable. The emotional trauma inflicted on these students is unimaginable. As stakeholders, we have a duty of care to the public and must ensure such occurrences are never repeated,” he said.
Representative of WAEC at the hearing, a Senior Assistant Registrar, Ambrose Okelezo told the lawmakers that the Head of WAEC in Nigeria was unable to attend due to an emergency meeting with the Registrar and heads of other national offices.
Okelezo appealed for the session to be rescheduled to Monday to allow the WAEC head to appear in person and address the concerns raised.
However, his request was strongly resisted by members of the committee which include Hon. Awaji-Inombek Abiante (PDP–Rivers) who criticised the absence, insisting that the WAEC leadership could not dictate the terms of its appearance before the House.
“He just admitted (that) he’s not competent to address us. Then why is he still here?” Abiante asked. “In my village, where there is no electricity, students were forced to write exams at 12 a.m. and 1 a.m., calling me in distress. Exam papers were reportedly left in a keke (tricycle) used to carry passengers. This is disgraceful.”
Also Hon. Billy Osawaru (PDP–Edo) expressed similar concerns and moved a motion seconded by Hon. Abiante for the adjournment of the hearing until the WAEC Head could appear personally.
The motion was unanimously adopted, and resolved to reconvene on Monday, June 2, 2025.
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