Again, Reps quiz WAEC officials over N5bn loan for customized calculators

Jonas Ezieke, Abuja

The House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education Bodies has again queried the Head of National office the West African Examinations Council WAEC Mr Amos Josiah Dangut  and other officials over the N5 billion loan for procurement of customized calculators by the examination body and award of contracts for its office in Jalingo Taraba State.

The House Committee had earlier grilled the WAEC team on Tuesday July 23, 2024 and demanded relevant documents to aid its investigation into unapproved public revenues and expenditures by the examination body.

Chairman of the House Committee Hon.Oforji Oboku and other committee members who issued the queries and demanded relevant documents from the WAEC officials insisted that the examination body had breached the Public Procurements Act 2007 and the Financial Regulations 2009 in their operations.

While grilling the invited officials on the N5bn loan for the procurement of customized calculators, the House Committee chairman asked the examination body officials to furnish the committee with documents on the purchase of the calculators as well as bank statement of accounts for their operations from 2018-2023.

The Committee helsman said that the House investigation is pursuant to powers of the National Assembly under section 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended) which empowers the House to expose corruption, inefficency and waste in the administration of public funds by government agencies and officials.

The Committee also querried the award of contract for the construction of the Jalingo Taraba State office of the examination body and the payment of 50% of the contract sum saying that it is a beach of the Public Procurements Act 2007 and the Financial Regulations 2009.

The Committee in its ruling at the hearing requested for immediate submission among other things, all expenditures for the customized calculators, evidence of due process for the award of contract, staff nominal roll and details of the all the employees.

Other committee members as Hon.Afam Ogene (Anambra,LP) and Hon Mohammed Muktar (Kebbi, PDP) who also querried the examination body officials lamented that it had incurred deficit of N6bn in 2023 fiscal year alone

In its presentation by the Head of National Office of WAEC Mr Amos Josiah Dangut said that that Act establishing the examination body provides that it can establish and maintain a fund which it can defray expenditures incurred by it.

He equally informed the House Committee that they had submitted all the requested documents to the panel adding that the 2023 audit is ongoing and would be submitted subsequently.

In an attempt to calm frayed nevers, he however appealed to the committee to give the examination body more time to respond to some of the issues raised at the investigation.

The House Committee chairman Hon.Oboku gave the examination body officials one week to provide the requested documents and to re-appear at a later date to be communicated to them by the Clerk of the House Committee.