The West African Examination Council (WAEC) is currently working to ensure examination results are released for the 400,000 Ghanaian candidates who sat for the 2024 West Africa Examination despite significant financial constraints.
The Head of Public Affairs at WAEC, Mr. John Kapi has provided updates on the progress made and the challenges they are still encountering.
The council, which oversees the administration and grading of examinations across West Africa, has been under scrutiny over delays in releasing results
According to Mr. Kapi, the council received some financial assurances from the government, with an initial payment of GHS25 million to address pressing needs.
“Yes, we were at work today [Monday] even though we’re supposed to be on our Christmas break. The head of office and the director of finance were able to engage with the minister. Some assurances were given that some money [will] be released to us to be able to continue with our work.
“With the 25,000,000 we’ve received, we’ve been able to assure the technicians that yes, [it] is meant for them for previous work done. As we speak, they have come, they have assessed the machines, and we’ve started using them.”
Mr. John Kapi Head of Public Affairs at WAEC
Despite progress, significant tasks remain to ensure the timely release of results.
“The cutting has to be done. We have some examiners scrutinizing scripts of candidates suspected to have been involved in examination malpractice- our hope is that in the next few days, they’ll be done.”
Mr. John Kapi Head of Public Affairs at WAEC
Additionally, uploading results online require increased bandwidth, which also incurs extra costs. Mr. Kapi added;
“We have legislators, supervisors, script checkers, and suppliers of examination materials to pay. These are things we need to settle to complete the process.”
Mr. John Kapi Head of Public Affairs at WAEC
While acknowledging the government’s support, Mr. Kapi emphasized that additional funds are required to complete the outstanding tasks.
“We wrote back immediately to the minister asking that they give us another about 35,000,000 Cedis -[This] amount would guarantee payment for the work that is going to be done and ensure the timely release of results.”
Mr. John Kapi Head of Public Affairs at WAEC
The total funds requested—GHS60 million—represent a significant portion of the council’s outstanding debt of GHS118 million.
Moreover, he explained that the council’s staff, many of whom also have wards awaiting results, are equally affected by the delays. He stated vehemently;
“It’s unfortunate for anyone to say that we are holding [students] to ransom. For some of us who are staff at the council, we also have our wards who have written the examination, and their results have also not been released.”
Mr. John Kapi Head of Public Affairs at WAEC
Mr. Kapi stressed that WAEC has acted promptly to allocate funds received to essential tasks, including the immediate needs of technicians and examiners.
Challenges with Equipment and Repairs
Another challenge highlighted by Mr. Kapi is the state of WAEC’s machinery. He indicated;
“They have indicated that they would need to procure some replaceable parts. Some machines have been written off. The technicians have managed to tweak about three of them, but they are not fully fit.”
Mr. John Kapi Head of Public Affairs at WAEC
This means that the scanning of answer sheets must proceed at a slower pace, potentially delaying the overall process further.
“We received assurances that [the government] will release some money in the next day or two. If that happens, work will progress, and we can release the results.”
Mr. John Kapi Head of Public Affairs at WAEC
However, he cautioned that if the funds are not forthcoming, WAEC may face further delays.
WAEC’s efforts to release examination results amid financial challenges have highlighted the complexity of its operations.
While the council has made progress with the limited resources available, it still faces significant hurdles, including financial shortfalls, equipment issues, and public skepticism.
As the council awaits further financial support, students and parents remain hopeful that the results will be released soon.
Mr. Kapi’s remarks provide a transparent account of the situation and underline WAEC’s commitment to resolving the challenges at hand.
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