Gov Lawal resolves debts overhang with WAEC, secures release of withheld Zamfara students’ results

• WAEC withheld the student’s results over the non-payment of N1.4 billion examination fees owed by the state government

Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State and the West African Examination Council, WAEC, has agreed on a payment plan to offset the N1.4 billion examination fees owed by the previous administrations in the state.

The Governor also secured the release of WAEC results of Zamfara Secondary School students that were withheld.

WAEC withheld the student’s results over the non-payment of N1.4 billion examination fees owed by the state government.

A statement issued by the spokesperson of Zamfara Governor, Sulaiman Bala Idris, said the Governor met with the leadership of the Council at his Abuja office on Monday.

According to the statement, the WAEC delegation was led by the Chairman of the Administrative and Finance Committee, Hajiya Binta Abdulkadir and the head of the National office of WAEC Nigeria, Dr Amos J. Dangut.

He said: “As part of the present administration’s effort to ensure that the state of emergency declared on education is seriously addressed, the Governor, who was in the company of the honourable commissioner of education, science, and technology, Mallam Wadatau Madawaki, discussed with the WAEC officials, the issue of outstanding debt owed by the Zamfara state on examinations conducted under the previous administrations.

“The non-payment of the WAEC fees for many years led to the non-release of the West African Examination results for the affected students”

“This, by extension, has caused many students not to participate in the mandatory National Youth Service Corp programme due to non-collection of their results”

The statement added that an agreement has been reached between the Zamfara State Government and WAEC on how to go about resolving the issue.

“At the end of the meeting, the examination body agreed to release the previous results and allow Zamfara students participate in the 2024 WAEC Examinations.

“Both the State government and WAEC agreed on a payment plan of backlog debt, and the withheld results will be released before the end of this month.”

Also present at the meeting were senior officials of WAEC Nigeria, including Mr Ambrose Okelezo, the Zonal Coordinator; Mr Victor C. Odu, the Director of Finance; and Mr Segun U. Jerumeh, the Deputy Director.