In a bid to curb the high rate of examination malpractices in the country, the House of Representatives on Thursday passed a bill seeking to provide stiffer penalties against examination malpractices.
According to reports, the lawmakers sought to amend the existing West African Examination Council Act, 2004, to provide penalties of up to N200,000 against offenders.
House Majority leader, Mulikat Akande-Adeola, who led a debate on the bill, stated that Sections 20/21 of the Principal Act would be amended to increase the current fine of N2,000 to N200,000.
Akande-Adeola said: “Because of the high incidences of examination malpractices, Council thought it fit to amend the whole of Section 19 of the Principal Act, providing the offences constituting such malpractices to include illegal possession of examination papers.
“Having fore-knowledge of the contents of an examination paper or makes use of an examination paper or the content of it in any manner whatsoever without lawful authority.”
The majority leader also informed the House that “Nigeria is the only country out of the five countries constituting the council’s membership that has not ratified the convention.
The other countries in the council are Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and the Gambia.
It could be recalled that only 86,612 candidates, representing 29.17% obtained credits in five subjects and above, including English Language and Mathematics at the last November/December Senior Secondary School Examination results released by WAEC.
Announcing the results in Lagos, Head of National Office, Mr Charles Eguridu said: “Of the total of candidates that sat the examination, 120,115 candidates, representing 40.46%, obtained 6 credits and above; 161,721 candidates representing 54.48% obtained 5 credits and above.
“In addition, 198,832 candidates, representing 66.98% obtained credits and above in four subjects while 230,325 candidates representing 77.59 obtained Credits and above in 3 subjects. A total of 256,500 candidates representing 86.41% obtained credits and above in 2 subjects.”
