WAEC cancels results of candidates over cheating

The National Examinations Committee of West Africa Examinations Council on Thursday said it had cancelled results of candidates involved in examination malpractice at the 2014 examinations.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the WAEC Public Affairs Officer, Mr. Damianus Ojijeogu, made this known in a statement in Lagos.

The committee, he said, took the decision to cancel the results at its 59th meeting held in Lagos.

Ojijeogu said the committee reviewed a report on irregularity and special and clemency cases arising from the conduct of the May/June 2014 West African Senior School Certificate at the meeting.

The statement added that the committee considered a report on the conduct of the November/December 2014 WASSCE, including irregularity cases arising from the conduct of the examination.

It said, “In the course of considering the various reported cases of malpractice, the committee, after diligent deliberations, approved appropriate sanctions in all established cases of malpractice.

“This action is as prescribed by the rules and regulations governing the conduct of the council’s examinations.

“It approved that the entire results of such candidates involved in proven cases be cancelled.

“The communiqué also recommended that the subjects’ results of those involved in proven cases of malpractice be similarly cancelled.

“In addition, some candidates will also suffer other sanctions, such as barring them from sitting for the council’s examinations for a certain number of years.”

The statement said that the decisions of the committee would be implemented immediately.

It, however, said that the council would release results of candidates exonerated by the committee.

According to the communiqué, the committee’s sanctions will also impose sanction on all the ad-hoc examination workers that condoned the malpractice.

“The committee has directed all the ad-hoc examination functionaries indicted of involvement or condoning malpractice during the conduct of the examination, be reported to appropriate state ministries of education.

“The ad-hoc examination functionaries, who participated during the November/December 2014 WASSCE, would also be reported to relevant bodies for disciplinary action.

“This will be in addition to the sanctions imposed on them by the council.

“The committee, as in previous meetings, strongly expressed concern at the alarming incidence of malpractice in examination and urged stakeholders to join hands in curbing the menace,” it said.