Relieve came the way of anxious parents, guardians and students across the country on Wednesday as the West African Examination Council said it will release the results of the May/June 2015 West African Senior School Certificate, WASSCE, that was earlier withhold due to indebtedness by the states within 24 hours.
WAEC had withheld results of about 13 states which it said were yet to pay the examination fees of students from their states when it released the results of the other states on Monday.
However, after a meeting between officials of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and officials of the examination body in Abuja on Wednesday, Charles Eguridu, Head of the Nigeria National Office of WAEC, told journalists in Abuja the council has decided to listen to appeals to release the results, especially because affected candidates would need the results for admission purposes.
Eguridu who said the Council realized that the default in payment of the examination fees by the states was because of the prevailing economic challenges facing the country said the results will be released in the next 24 hours.
“Our decision to open this window of opportunity, that is the resort to advance payment guarantees for affected states, was as a result of our appreciation of the prevailing economic challenges facing the nation and in order not to jeopardise the educational progress of the candidates of the affected states.
“However, following appeals from our stakeholders, including parents, the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of secondary Schools, notable Nigerians, other well -meaning citizens and most importantly, the intervention of secretariat of Nigeria governor’s Forum, which we have informed is on the directive of the chairman of the forum, governor of Zamfara state, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari, who has indicated that the forum will positively resolve the matter as soon as possible, we have decided to hearken to appeals and review our earlier position.
“More so, the continued withholding of the results will adversely affect the educational prospects of the affected candidates for admission purposes.
“Consequently, the management of the council has decided that the results of the candidates of indebted states would be released in deference to all the appeals and commitment of the NGF.
“The results are, therefore, to be uploaded on our result website in the next 24 hours. This decision is based on our wish not to impede the educational progress of any Nigerian child”.
Eguridu who refused to mention the name of the indebted states however appealed for the payment of the examination debts which he said was necessary to ensure that the examination body meet its financial obligations to supervisors, examiners as well as service providers and other creditors.
