The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has expressed dissatisfaction with the GH¢25 million recently disbursed by the government as part payment of the GH¢118 million owed to the Council.
WAEC describes the amount as “a drop in the ocean,” emphasizing that it falls far short of the funds required to release the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results.
In an interview with ABC News on Monday, December 23, WAEC’s Head of Public Affairs, John Kapi, said the financial challenges faced by the Council are crippling its operations.
“Obviously, that [the GH¢25 million] was just a drop in the ocean as far as the amount of money required for the job we are supposed to do is concerned. We indicated to the minister earlier that we owed our technicians GH¢25 million, which we had to pay before they even started to work on the machines. Besides, there are other operations that we have to do,” Kapi explained.
He further lamented, “If we decide to invite the technicians today or even tomorrow, all they are going to ask for is the outstanding payment. And so all of that GH¢25 million will go.”
The delay in releasing the WASSCE results has created anxiety among students, parents, and educational institutions. According to Kapi, the government’s failure to fully settle its debt has left WAEC unable to fix essential equipment or guarantee payments to technicians.
“Really, we cannot be held responsible because we have communicated appropriately the time we were supposed to do that. If the Finance Minister we deal with directly does not respond on behalf of the central government, there is not much we can do,” Kapi added.
WAEC has reiterated its apolitical stance, stating that its focus remains solely on fulfilling its mandate to the public.
