Drama as Reps C”ttee Direct Arrest of WAEC Officials During Investigation.

From Lateef Taiwo

Mile drama ensued yesterday at the National Assembly as the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Examination Bodies directed Sergeant at Arms to arrest and detained officials of the West African Examination Council,WAEC, over alleged lack of cooperation.

WAEC officials arrested during the investigative hearing were, Amos Josiah Dangut, Head of National Office, WAEC Nigeria, who represented the Registrar; Angus Okeleze, Senior Deputy Registrar; Victor Odu, Acting Director of Finance; Segun Jerumeh as well as the Deputy Director of Finance.

Although the above official were later release by the Srgent at Arms, they were warned to be of good behaviour as well as provide documents such as statement of account and other vital document from 2018 till date to the Committee.

Their arrest followed a motion moved by a member of the Committee, Hon Uchenna Okonkwo at an investigative hearing, after some officials failed to answer certain questions to their satisfaction though under oath.

During the investigative hearing WAEC officials and members of the Committee had engaged in heated arguments even as the former argued that they are bound not with the Nigerian law but with the Convention which Nigeria is signatory to.

WAEC official had earlier in their presentation to the committee maintained that WAEC was not an agency of government, hence not accountable to the government not even to disclosed their Internally Genrated Revenue,IGI.

But the lawmakers strongly disagree with the Examination body insisted that WAEC Nigeria is a creation of an Act of the National Assembly, hence must account for all their activities to them.

They pointed out that the National Assembly makes appropriation for WAEC through the ministry of education and that they should be making reference to the Act of National Assembly and not the WAEC Convention.

The lawmakers also citted relevant sections of WAEC convention, pointing out that the convention dictates that they must submit to the legislation of any of its member countries.

Following the arguments, Okonkwo moved, “I will like to move a motion that while pending the investigation to look into the activities of WAEC Nigeria, the invited guest before is should be taken into custody and held at the police post while we seek for solutions for these issues they are bringing upon Nigerians.”

The motion was seconded by Hon Marie Ebikake.

There was uproar in the venue of the hearing as one of the WAEC officials kept shouting at the panel that the Commitee were very unfair to them citing Article 16 paragraph 9 of the WAEC Convention.

However, after a brief closed door session, the Committee resolved to allow release the WAEC officials urging them to see the Paliament as representatives of the people even as they also directed them to make relevant documents available to the Committee.

The Committee Chairman, Hon Oforji Oboku, said they must bring the audited statement of accounts of the examinations body from 2018 till date.

The Chairman said WAEC cannot operate outside the supervision of the National Assembly.