Gombe state Executive Council (SEC) has approved the immediate release of the sum of N417.5m as payment for West African Examination Council (WAEC), National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NABAIS) and National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) final examinations for secondary students in the state.
According to a report, the benefiting students are the 21,988 students who scored 50 per cent and above in the mock examinations recently conducted by the state ministry of education.
Also, the SEC meeting presided over by the state Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya approved the sum of N331m as scholarship to a total of 16,113 students studying in various tertiary institutions across the country.
The Commissioner of Education, Dr Aishatu Maigari, disclosed this while briefing Journalists shortly after the 29th Council meeting presided by Governor saying that the 21,988 students is 78.59 per cent of the total number of candidates who had sat for the mock examinations.
According to her, “21,988 is the number of those who have scored 50 per cent and above in the mock examinations set by the administration and they formed 78.59 per cent of the total number of candidates who had sat for the mock examination.
The council approved N417.5m for payment.
The commissioner added, “A breakdown of it shows that for WAEC, we have registered 20,685 students. For NABTEB, we have sponsored 1,167 and for NBAIS we have registered 136 students which gives us a total of 21,988 students.”
She explained further that, “and it includes the amount of the online biometric registration, procurement of specimen and reagents for practicals, transportation of examination materials from Bauchi which is the WAEC centre monitoring and supervision of the examination. There is what is called mandatory fees for NBAIS and there are charges for lower and higher candidature.”
Aishatu Maigari added that the Governor’s gesture since the inception of the administration had improved the rating of students of Gombe.
“We have seen our WAEC results going higher where most of our students who we have registered are getting minimum requirements of five credits in Mathematics and English,” the Commissioner added.
She disclosed further that the sum of N331.1m has been approved by the Council for payment as an outstanding scholarship to 16,113 students from 2017 to 2022 academic sessions.
The Commissioner added that the beneficiaries have been verified, adding, “Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has paid a total amount of N331.1m being students scholarship allowances to 16,113 students registered across from 2017 to 2022 academic session.”
She said; “The students have been verified, even the backlogs that have not been paid have been paid. The process is ongoing and students are being verified. If you are duly verified, they have gotten their scholarship awards.”
