Reps committee detains WAEC officials for challenging Reps probe

In a heated session on Tuesday, the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Examination Bodies detained four high-ranking officials from the West African Examination Council (WAEC) during an investigative hearing at the National Assembly.

The officials detained included the Head of National Office, WAEC Nigeria, Amos Dangut, Senior Deputy Registrar, Angus Okeleze, Acting Director of Finance, Victor Odu, and Deputy Director of Finance, Segun Jerumeh. The detention followed a motion by Committee member Hon. Uchenna Okonkwo, sparked by a contentious debate on WAEC’s accountability to the parliament.

The drama began when Dangut asserted that WAEC was not a government agency and thus not accountable to the National Assembly. This statement ignited a fierce argument, with lawmakers insisting that WAEC Nigeria, being established by an Act of the National Assembly, must report its activities to them. They emphasized that WAEC’s convention requires adherence to the legislation of its member countries, and that the National Assembly provides appropriations for WAEC.

In response to the escalating tension, Okonkwo moved for the detention of the WAEC representatives, stating, “I move that while pending the investigation into the activities of WAEC Nigeria, the invited guests should be taken into custody and held at the police post.”

The motion, seconded by Hon. Marie Ebikake, led to the officials being taken away by the Sergeant at Arms and detained for about 15 minutes. The committee then held a brief closed-door session, deciding to release the officials but mandated them to return with specific documents, including audited financial statements from 2018 and details regarding a N5 billion loan obtained in 2022.

Committee Chairman Hon. Oforji Oboku reinforced the committee’s authority, stating, “WAEC is subject to Nigeria’s laws. We have all the powers to oversight you. You cannot come here and say WAEC is not an agency of the government.”