The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has taken disciplinary action against 13 schools and 14 supervisors in Kogi State, citing their involvement in various degrees of examination malpractice during the 2023/2024 examinations.
This was disclosed by the state Commissioner for Education, Science, and Technology, Wemi Jones, on Wednesday during a meeting in Lokoja with principals and supervisors implicated in the malpractice cases.
Jones revealed that the affected schools had been deregistered, and the supervisors blacklisted for their roles in compromising the examination process. He emphasized the seriousness of the offense, stating, “Examination malpractice is a criminal offense and will be treated as such under the Kogi State Education Law and Other Matters Connected Therewith, 2020.”
Prosecution of Offenders
The commissioner announced plans to establish a committee, led by the Permanent Secretary, to further investigate individuals indicted by WAEC. “Whoever is found guilty will face prosecution in a court of law,” he added.
He also warned that the state would no longer tolerate acts of misconduct undermining its significant investment in the education sector. “We have invested heavily in education and will not allow the actions of a few bad eggs to erode the progress we’ve made,” Jones stated.
Call for Change
Speaking on the matter, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Dr. Jibrin Alhaji, urged principals and supervisors to reflect on their actions, stressing that their misconduct was not only a disservice to the state but also detrimental to the future of the students.
“While some educators are being celebrated for their contributions to education, it is disheartening that others are being singled out for misconduct. Posterity will judge us all by our deeds,” Dr. Jibrin said.
He encouraged educators to uphold integrity and strive to rebuild the sector’s reputation, adding that such malpractice tarnishes the image of Kogi State and compromises the quality of its education system.
