The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has flayed festering newspaper reports alleging that it is perverting the course of justice by protecting corrupt politicians with questionable certificates.
Specifically, according to WAEC, these reports allege that politicians, whose election victories in the last general elections are being challenged in court for presenting forged certificates, were being shielded by the council.
In a statement issued by Mrs Moyosola Adesina, WAEC’s Acting Head of Public Affairs on Thursday in Lagos, the exam body debunked the reports as malicious, wicked and misleading.
The statement reads: “Recently, the Nigerian press has been awash with stories of attempts by WAEC to pervert the course of justice by allegedly conniving with some highly placed persons, whose electoral victories in the last national elections are being challenged in court by their opponents.
“These reports even alleged that “top WAEC Directors” at the Yaba office, received huge sums of money in several tranches to conceal and doctor information on WAEC records concerning some defendants.
“The reports went on to say that WAEC has been complicit in denying all litigants access to examination records, in proof of their cases in court.
“It also bogusly claimed that an investigative agency had gone to Ghana and completed investigations while efforts to do so in Nigeria, were blocked by some WAEC officials.
“These reports are all baseless, malicious and misleading. We must guide against the bastardisation of assessment and the destruction of education in the country.
“When people who are not in charge of examinations and do not have the expertise and records of relevant documents and information try to hijack the mandate of a time-tested organisation, it portends danger,” Adesina said.
She said that rather than wrongfully vilifying, WAEC the council deserves commendation for holding on as a colossus for the past 71 years.
The council’s spokesperson further stated that ordinarily, council would have ignored all the malicious allegations, but decided to do some clarifications and enlightenment, for the benefit of the Nigerian public and for the sake of assessment and education, generally, in Nigeria.
“WAEC is an international examination body with a clear mandate to conduct examinations in the public interest and award certificates, and it has been doing so since 1952, without any integrity issues. Its certificates are recognised and acceptable all over the world.
“WAEC is a legal entity that can sue and be sued. It is a law-abiding organisation with absolute respect for the judiciary. It will, therefore, always appear in court whenever subpoenaed and obey any valid order arising there from.
“This is the era of politics. WAEC has been subpoenaed on several occasions to appear in court to confirm the authenticity of WAEC results, certificates, or documents tendered by some litigants and we have always done so.
“For record purposes and the benefit of the Nigerian public, WAEC Ghana has nothing to do with the results of Nigerian candidates, just as Nigeria does not have anything to do with the results of Ghanaian candidates, even though we administer the same international examinations,” she explained.
Adesina described as mere peddling of falsehood, reports claiming that some investigating agencies had gone to its headquarters in Ghana and had concluded investigation on a matter in Nigeria, arguing that its headquarters, cannot speak on a matter they know nothing about.
She went on to assure that the examination body would continue to cooperate with law enforcement and security agencies, whenever called upon to provide documents and records to aid their investigations on any matter.