The West African Examination Council, WAEC, says it requires the sum of $3.9 million to procure a printing machine that will enable it discharge its mandate of conducting credible examinations.
Speaking during a courtesy visit to the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, in Abuja, the Chairman of WAEC, Prof. Ato Essuman, said the council had already procured three of the machines.
Essuman, who disclosed that WAEC’s office in Nigeria embarked on the establishment of a digital printing press for the printing of examination security materials, solicited the support of the Federal Government’s to purchase the printer.
“As a responsible and responsive organisation, the council is always seeking ways of improving on its service delivery to stakeholders. The Nigeria National Office embarked on the establishment of a digital printing press for the printing of examination security materials, the first to be owned by the council in Nigeria.
“However, the project, which is nearing completion, has been stalled because we are not able to fund the acquisition of a particular machine that is vital to the operation of the system. I wish therefore to use this privilege extended to me today to request your kind intervention to enable us to secure the required financial assistance for the procurement of the machine,” he said.
The WEC official thanked the government and people of Nigeria for the support, cooperation and goodwill, which the council had received from inception in 1952 to date.
Also speaking, WAEC’s Head of Nigeria Office, Mr Patrick Areghan, disclosed that there is a marginal increase of WAEC fees because of the country’s spiral inflation.
Areghan said that the conversion of naira to dollar today was a misery, saying that the upward review of fees was necessary to enable the council render its services efficiently to the Nigerian child.
“There has to be that marginal increase to enable us to do better services. The examiners are now happy as we are able to increase their marking fees through this marginal increase. The money actually went for the payment of examiners to enable us satisfy them so that they can do the job better,” he said.
According to him, each student writing the examinations now has to pay N18,000 as against the former N13,950.
While responding, the Minister of Education, Adamu, pledged the Nigerian Government’s continuous support to the council in achieving its mandate.
