Jesse Ese, Yenagoa
The leadership of the West African Examinations Council in Bayelsa State has lauded the government of Bayelsa over the prompt payment of WAEC and NECO registration fees for students in the state.
The commendation was given by the Branch Controller of the WAEC office in Yenagoa, Mr. Adebulu Adesanya, during a ‘thank you’ visit to the Commissioner of Education, Chief Salo Adikumo, in his office in Yenagoa recently.
The leadership of the board also commended the state government for also paying WAEC accreditation fees for some public was secondary schools in the state as well as the re-accreditation fees for others.
Mr. Adesanya also used the opportunity to dispel the rumour that parents and guardians in the state still pay WAEC and NECO fees for their wards and thanked the state government for the support given to the state council.
He further noted that in conjunction with the Teachers Training Institute which will soon be operational in the state, the council would train and retrain teachers in the state on item writing.
He also stated that the council has been occupying a rented apartment since its existence in the state and also used the occasion to appeal to the state government for the allocation of land to the council to enable it build its permanent office in the state.
He also disclosed that a monitoring team from the council has been going round various schools in the state and warned that any principal, teacher or student caugt indulging in examination malpractice will be arrested and prosecuted.
The Commissioner of Education, in his response, noted that government has observed that, despite earlier warnings, some principals in the state still engage in illegal collection or fees from students.
The commissioner has also invited some principals to his office in view of that development to put a stop to it. Some of the invited are principals of Saint Jude’s Girls’ Secondary School, Epie National High School and Community Secondary School, Opuama.
