Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum has approved over three hundred million naira to offset fees owed the West African Examination Council (WAEC) by 21,827 students of public secondary schools who wrote this year’s (2022) examination across Borno State.
The State’s Commissioner for Education, Engr Lawan Abba Wakilbe, disclosed this on Wednesday in Maiduguri during a ceremonial presentation of cheque to officials of WAEC.
The commissioner said the money, totalling Three Hundred and Twenty Nine Million, Eight Hundred and Five Thousand, Eight Hundred Naira (N329,805,800) was already in WAEC’s account.
“Government is paying N329,805,800 out of which N295,456,150 is for the settlement of State and Local Governments share, which is a subsidy of 75% of the 2022 WAEC Examination fees for 21, 827 students studying in public schools across Borno State,
” while the remaining Thirty-Four Million, Three Hundred and Forty-Nine Thousand, Six Hundred and Fifty Naira (N34,349,650) is to settle outstanding WAEC fees for the year 2018.
” With these, Government has now fully settled all its financial obligations to WAEC”, the education Commissioner said.
According to the Commissioner, with the payment, Borno’s 21,827 students who wrote WAEC exams from public schools are now free to access their results on WAEC’s online portal.
He also said with 2022 payments done, the state government was focusing on 2023 exams .
He however appealed to WAEC to consider extending the 2023 WASSCE to take places in eight (8) Local Government Areas, namely Damboa, Gwoza, Ngala, Dikwa, Mafa, Monguno, Gubio and Mobbar.
He noted that male and female students from the listed LGAs face serious challenges of being forced to relocate to Boarding Schools in Maiduguri for at least three (3) Months.
… Zulum approved N1.5 billion in 3 years
He added that with the recent release of over N300m to WAEC, the state government has so far released N1.5b in three years, for WAEC, NECO and NABTEB exams in public schools.
The amount included the payment of N434,726,200 for 2019 exams; N391,272,000 for 2020; N412,394,510 for 2021 and N329,805,800 released in 2022.
Confirming the receipt of the payment, Mr. Zakariyau Abdullahi, Coordinator of West African Examination Council (WAEC) in Maiduguri, described the Governor’s commitment to payment of WAEC fees for public schools candidates as consistent.
The coordinator promised to ensure that all candidates who wrote the exams were able to access their results within hours and this was done.
On the increase of examination centers to eight additional local government areas, Abdullahi said that WAEC was ready for that, but needed government support in areas of logistics (mobility, security and accommodation of officials).
We are already in Chibok, Gwoza, Konduga and Kaga LGAs, the WAEC official said.
