The House of Representatives Committee on Basic Examination Bodies detained four representatives of the West African Examination Council (WAEC) during a session at the National Assembly on Tuesday. The detained officials included Amos Dangut, Head of National Office, WAEC Nigeria; Senior Deputy Registrar Angus Okeleze; Acting Director of Finance Victor Odu; and Deputy Director of Finance Segun Jerumeh.
The detention occurred during an investigative hearing when Dangut asserted that WAEC was not an agency of the government and therefore not accountable to the parliament. This statement led to a heated debate between the lawmakers and WAEC officials regarding the council’s accountability.
Committee member Hon. Uchenna Okonkwo argued that WAEC Nigeria, as a creation of an Act of the National Assembly, must account for its activities to the parliament. He emphasized that WAEC’s convention requires it to adhere to the legislation of its member countries and that the National Assembly makes appropriations for WAEC.
Following the argument, Okonkwo moved a motion to detain the WAEC officials while pending further investigation. The motion was seconded by Hon. Marie Ebikake.
“I would like to move a motion that while pending the investigation to look into the activities of WAEC Nigeria, the invited guest before it should be taken into custody and held at the police post while we seek solutions for these issues they are bringing upon Nigerians,” Okonkwo said.
The motion led to an uproar, with one WAEC official protesting the decision. The officials were detained by the Sergeant at Arms of the National Assembly for about 15 minutes before a brief closed-door session was held. It was resolved that the officials should return at a later date with the requested documents.
Committee Chairman Hon. Oforji Oboku stated that WAEC must present the audited statement of accounts from 2018 to date and documents related to a N5 billion loan obtained in 2022 for purchasing customized calculators.
“You are not different from any other agency. We are not here to witch-hunt you. WAEC is subject to Nigeria’s laws. We have reviewed the position and we have all the powers to oversight you. You cannot come here and say WAEC is not an agency of the government,” Oboku emphasized.
The committee’s decision underscores the parliament’s stance on ensuring accountability and oversight of organizations operating within its jurisdiction.