Nigeria: WAEC decries dimensions in examination malpractice
By Chinyere Ogbonna – The West African Examination Council, WAEC, is worried over the dangerous dimensions that examination malpractice is beginning to assume in West Africa particularly in Nigeria.
The then Registrar, Dr. Iyi Uwadiae mnim, made the agency’s concern known while speaking with journalists at the International Office of the Council at Agidingbi Ikeja, Lagos, southwest Nigeria.
Dr. Uwadiae stated that the lives of WAEC officials were being threatened due to the desperate acts of exam fraudsters and other unscrupulous elements within the chain. He cited outright threats and drugging of Invigilators and Supervisors by candidates during examination as some of the new ugly trends that have reared their heads lately. Dr. Uwadaie stressed that no amount of threats would deter WAEC from striving to continually protect the credibility of WAEC Certificate.
The WAEC management Dr. Iyi Uwadiae and other management staff of the Council at a news briefing in Lagos. “The Council in the five member countries has introduced several measures and deployed technologies at high cost towards arresting the ever-festering canker worm and frustrating the activities of perpetrators who misguide candidates, parents, teachers and sometimes school authorities through devising ingenious and sophisticated methods”. He said that in furtherance of its efforts, the Council is organising a two-day International Summit on Examination Malpractice.
At the summit, the Registrars and CEOs of WAEC, NABTEB, JAMB, NECO and other key representatives including ICPC shall be presenting diverse papers. The forum will allow stakeholders to rub minds towards evolving a more holistic approach in curbing examination malpractice across the West African region.
Journalists at the WAEC news briefing
Dr Iyi Uwadiae submitted that public enlightenment by all institutions is key in the fight against examination malpractice which has become the most notorious challenge facing examining bodies and other educational institutions in the Council’s member countries.
“The malaise has assumed dangerous and criminal dimensions, on the heels of some advancement in technology which created the smartphones and the social media”. According to the WAEC boss, the International Summit will hold on the 19th and 20th of this month.
Journalists at the WAEC news briefing
