ABUJA, Nigeria – The House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Examination Bodies yesterday delivered a stinging rebuke to the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), rejecting its senior delegation and insisting that only the Head of the National Office can account for the chaos that marred the ongoing Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).
In an unprecedented display of parliamentary muscle, lawmakers gave WAEC a 24-hour ultimatum to produce its top official, warning of legislative sanctions should the summons be ignored.
Committee Chairman Hon. Oforji Oboku expressed profound regret over what he described as “unpalatable and embarrassing incidents” witnessed nationwide, noting that the exam exercise—meant to test the mettle of Nigeria’s youth—has instead become a spectacle of mismanagement.
“In Jalingo alone, candidates sat papers at midnight,” he lamented, invoking harrowing images of children writing under flickering torchlight. “We must find out why this happened and make sure it never happens again.”
Leading the WAEC delegation, Senior Assistant Registrar Ambrose Okelezo pleaded for leniency, explaining that the Head of National Office was occupied supervising the printing of examination materials and could only appear on Monday.
He assured the committee that a high-level meeting had been convened to address delays in the English Language Paper 2 and to devise strategies to forestall future anomalies. But his overtures fell on deaf ears.
Dissatisfied with deputy explanations, the committee erupted in outrage. Hon. Awaji Abiante railed against what he termed “incompetence of the highest order,” recounting reports from his home village of candidates left stranded at 1 a.m., with question papers entrusted to commercial drivers for delivery.
He further challenged WAEC’s readiness to shift to computer-based testing, pointing out that over 90 per cent of public secondary schools lack functional computer laboratories and reliable power supply, rendering the proposal a non-starter.
The committee’s anger was compounded by fresh revelations that WAEC withheld results for 215,267 candidates over alleged malpractice in the 2024 SSCE, a move critics say underscores systemic failures within the body entrusted with safeguarding educational standards.
With public confidence in the exam arm deeply shaken, lawmakers warned that excuses will no longer be tolerated when billions of naira in appropriations are at stake.
In a final, dramatic flourish, Hon. Oforji declared: “WAEC must organise exams properly since the government pays for it. We want answers, not excuses.”
The motion to reject all deputies and insist on the Head of National Office passed unanimously, with members agreeing to reconvene at 2 pm on Monday, 2 June 2025, when WAEC’s top brass is expected to face grilling on the national embarrassment.
As Nigeria teeters on the brink of an education crisis, the ultimatum from the House of Representatives signals a watershed moment.
Will WAEC’s leadership rise to the occasion and restore integrity to the SSCE, or will the committee deploy its constitutional powers to compel compliance?
The nation watches and waits—students, parents and politicians alike demand accountability.
Additional reporting from Peter Jene and Omonigho Macaulay
