By Gabriella Ogbu
On Tuesday, the House of Representatives passed a resolution mandating the imprisonment of top officials from the West African Examination Council (WAEC) due to their failure to account for funds appropriated to the body. The decision emerged from an intense investigative hearing conducted by the House Committee on Basic Examination Bodies, chaired by Hon. Oforji Oboku.
The WAEC officials involved are Amos Josiah Dangut, Head of National Office, WAEC Nigeria, who was representing the Registrar; Angus Okeleze, Senior Deputy Registrar; Victor Odu, Acting Director of Finance; and Segun Jerumeh, Deputy Director of Finance. Their potential arrest was proposed following a motion presented by Hon. Uchenna Okonkwo during the hearing, as the officials failed to satisfactorily address inquiries regarding their financial management.
During the session, a heated debate unfolded between the parliamentarians and the WAEC representatives. The lawmakers challenged whether the examination board was accountable to Parliament, arguing that, as an entity established by an Act of the National Assembly, WAEC Nigeria must adhere to parliamentary scrutiny and report on its operations.
Dangut had earlier claimed that WAEC was not a government institution and thus did not have the same accountability obligations as other government bodies. However, the MPs countered that WAEC Nigeria is funded by the National Assembly and is therefore subject to legislative oversight. They also highlighted that WAEC is required to comply with the legislation of its member countries, including Nigeria.
Amid the debate, Hon. Okonkwo proposed that the WAEC officials be detained at a police post while the investigation into their activities continues. This motion followed some dramatic moments at the hearing location, where one WAEC official vocally protested the perceived unfair treatment by the lawmakers.
In response, representatives from the National Assembly’s Sergeant at Arms briefly detained the WAEC officials in one of the members’ offices for about 15 minutes. After a closed-door session, the Committee decided to release them, instructing them to return later with the necessary documentation.
Chairman Oboku, who presided over the hearing, directed WAEC management to provide the body’s audited financial statements from 2018 to the present. He also requested documentation related to a N5 billion loan secured in 2022 for the purchase of customized calculators and other expenses.
Oboku emphasized the necessity of WAEC’s adherence to Nigerian legislation and oversight. “WAEC cannot operate outside the supervision of the National Assembly. You are no different from any other agency in claiming not to be a government entity. We are not here to witch-hunt you. WAEC is subject to Nigerian legislation, and we have the authority to oversee your activities,” he stated firmly.
The Chairman made it clear that WAEC would be summoned again in the future, and warned that failure to provide the requested documents would result in further consequences.
