WASSCE 2022: Supervisors are part of exam syndicates — WAEC HNO

The Head of Nigeria National Office (HNO) of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Mr. Patrick Areghan, has described some of the supervisors involved in the ongoing May/June 2022 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) as part of exam syndicates.

Areghan was reacting to some supervisors that compromised in the ongoing school exam nationwide and specifically, one that was arrested and detained in Lagos.

The HNO had last week revealed that ten supervisors were arrested in Lagos, Kano, Beyelsa and Kaduna States for aiding exam fraud, adding, “most of them were not reliable.”

The WAEC boss confirmed that one supervisor and a male candidate were quizzed over foreknowledge of English Language paper, which was posted online. He disclosed that the supervisor was detained.

He told our Correspondent that police in Lagos are currently investigating how the English Language paper was gotten and posted online few minutes before the commencement of the school exam.

It was gathered that the English Language paper was to start by 9.30am nationwide but by 9.11am, the syndicate got the paper and posted it online, prompting WAEC to begin investigation into the case.

It was further learnt that investigation by the council traced the foreknowledge of the English Language paper to a school around Iyana Ejigbo and the custodian centre at Ronik School, Ejigbo.

WAEC officials stormed the school located at Iyana Ejigbo and discovered the source and a male student; whose question paper may have been the source of the foreknowledge was interrogated.

On arrival, the council officials were said to have sealed off the exam venue until preliminary investigation revealed the source of the foreknowledge.

The WAEC officials invited the police and the supervisor and the male candidate were taken to the police. The young school pupil was released but the supervisor was detained.

Areghan clarified that what happened at the school in Iyana Ejigbo was foreknowledge as the exam question had been released to the supervisor, adding, “what happened is not leakage but foreknowledge because we released the paper one hour before the time.’’

“Once WAEC releases question papers to supervisors from the custodian centres and it is tampered with, it is foreknowledge and that is what happened at the school in Iyana Ejigbo. If the candidate is exonerated, he has nothing to lose about not writing Biology. But if he is found guilty, no mercy.

“Some supervisors are part of exam syndicates. I don’t know how much they are paying them. We are working with the police and we have picked many supervisors and exam fraudsters.”

According to him, many of the candidates are relaying on ‘expo’ and this would make them to fail the examination. He explained that most of what is posted online is past questions.

A total of 1,607,985 million candidates from 20,221 schools are currently writing the school exam out of which 800,055 are males, representing 49.76% while 800,724 are females, and representing 50.24%.

The candidates would be examined in 76 subjects, made up of 197 papers. About 30,000 practicing senior teachers, nominated by various Ministries of Education, would be participating in the examination as supervisors. (Daily Sun)