Thirteen schools in Kogi State have been banned by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) for various offences in the 2023/2024 examinations.
The state’s Commissioner for Education, Wemi Jones, revealed the ban during a meeting with some principals and supervisors indicted by the council for the examination malpractices.
The commissioner also disclosed that the council blacklisted 14 supervisors for various degrees of malpractice in the 2023/2024 West Africa Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in the state.
According to him, the government vowed to sanction principals, teachers and supervisors who engaged in or aided examination malpractices in the state.
Jones stressed that examination malpractices remained a criminal offence and would be treated in accordance with the law, adding that henceforth, offenders would be prosecuted in accordance with Kogi State Education Law and Other Matters Connected Therewith, 2020.
He stated that a committee would be set up to be headed by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary to investigate personalities indicted by WAEC.
The commissioner warned that whoever was found wanting would be prosecuted in the law court.
“Kogi State has invested so much in education and will no longer tolerate the attitude of the ‘bad eggs’ drawing back the gains already made in the education sector,” Jones stated.
The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education, Seidu Jibrin, warned the principals and the supervisors to desist from any act of examination malpractice.
He noted that such actions are not just robbing the state but destroying the future of the students.
“I urge you to have a sober reflection of your actions, as posterity will judge everyone according to his/her deeds. While some teachers are being called out for awards, it will be wrong for you to be called out for condemnations,” the Permanent Secretary said.
“It is unfortunate that this is happening when Kogi State is investing so much in education; whoever is found culpable will be severely sanctioned.”
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