The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has cleared the air regarding claims that it plans to relocate its headquarters from Ghana to Nigeria.
Recent reports suggest that the government’s outstanding debt to WAEC is sparking discussions about a possible relocation, as the debt is impacting their operations.
WAEC’s Head of Public Relations, John Kapi, has dismissed these claims as false and urged the public to disregard the rumor.”
“There hasn’t been any discussion in this direction. So the law that established WAEC indicates that the headquarters of the WAEC will be situated here in Accra.
“Ever since there has not been any change to that. So, I guess that we cannot confirm that we have not had any such discussions and there are no plans as such.”
Last month, WAEC’s Head of Public Relations warned that the release of the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results could be delayed due to an outstanding debt owed by the government.
Initially, WAEC had anticipated releasing the results between December 9 and 15.
However, Mr Kapi pointed out that the financial shortfall, particularly regarding the funds required for the marking and processing stages, may disrupt this schedule.
In a conversation with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Eyewitness News on Citi FM, Mr Kapi explained that while the government had provided initial funds to support the exams, it has not yet delivered the additional payments needed to complete the post-examination procedures.
Despite multiple meetings and assurances, the promised funds have not materialized, putting WAEC in a difficult situation as it prepares for the marking process.
“Before the exam started, we indicated that the government had given us money to be able to conduct the examination, and the assurances were that once the exam was over, more releases would be made so that we would be able to go ahead with our post-examination activities.
“But as we speak, despite meetings that have been held, we still have not had any money hitting our account yet, and so our fear is that this would jeopardize the marking exercise,” he stated.
“…The amount for the WASSCE school candidates for 2024 was GH¢186,437,617.50. So, let’s say just about GH¢186 million. We received about GH¢60.9 million to commence the examination. We were looking at the second week of December, so at least between the 9th and the 15th of December, we are sure that we will be able to release the results.
“But as we speak, lack of funds could jeopardize this and could make us move the release date forward,” Kapi stated.