The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a resolution for the detention of top officials of West African Examination Council (WAEC) for failing to account for the funds appropriated to the organisation.
The resolution was pass d during an investigative hearing carried out by the House Committee on Basic Examination Bodies, chaired by Hon. Oforji Oboku.
The officials are: Amos Josiah Dangut, Head of National Office, WAEC Nigeria, who represented the Registrar; Angus Okeleze, Senior Deputy Registrar; Victor Odu, Acting Director of Finance; Segun Jerumeh, Deputy Director of Finance.
The motion for the arrest of the four WAEC officers was sequel to the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Uchenna Okonkwo, during an investigative hearing, after the officials failed to answer their questions to their satisfaction.
The lawmakers during the hearing were in heated arguments with the WAEC officials whether the examination body was accountable to Parliament or not.
Dangut had earlier in his presentation to the Committee argued that WAEC was not an agency of government, hence not accountable as other agencies.
But the lawmakers insisted that WAEC Nigeria was a creation of an Act of the National Assembly, hence must account for all their activities to them.
They pointed out that the National Assembly makes appropriation for WAEC.
The lawmakers also pointed out that WAEC’s convention dictates that they must submit to the legislation of any of its member countries.
Following the arguments, Hon. Okonkwo said: “I will like to move a motion that while pending the investigation to look into the activities of WAEC Nigeria, the invited Guests before should be taken into custody and held at the Police Post while we seek for solutions for these issues they are bringing upon Nigerians.”
Meanwhile, there was mild drama at the venue of the investigative hearing as one of the WAEC officials kept shouting at the lawmakers that it was being unfair to them.
Thereafter the WAEC officials were taken away by members of the Sergeant at Arms of the National Assembly where they were detained in one of the member’s office for about 15 minutes.
However, after a brief closed door session, the Committee resolved to allow them go and come back at a later date with relevant documents demanded of them.
In his intervention, Oboku who presided over the session, directed the WAEC management to bring the audited statement of accounts of the examinations body from 2018 till date.
He also directed that the delegation to present relevant documents in respect to a N5 billion loan that the Organisation secured in 2022 to buy a customised calculator among others.
The Chairman said WAEC cannot operate outside the supervision of the National Assembly.
“You are not different from any other agency, saying you are not an agency of government. 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 government,” he said.
He said WAEC would be invited at a later date.
He insisted the WAEC officials bring the requested documents, else there would be sanctions.
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