Reports have showed that Nigeria has the largest number of examination anomalies out of the five member countries of the West African Examinations Council. The Head, National Office of the Council, Charles Eguridu has said.
He spoke at a Road Show on Examination Malpractices Sensitisation that took place in Abuja, stating that WAEC has not introduced stricter measures and the utilisation of advanced technology in its effort to limit misconduct in Nigeria.
Eguridu equally warned applicants and schools that involve themselves in the despicable behaviour of organised examination malpractice of the grim penalties that include prosecution.
He said to the media, “We have regulations that governs the conduct of our examination.”
He further added that WAEC has the power to hold back results and carry out investigation on whoever is involved in examination malpractice, adding that afterwards, the whole result of such perpetrator will be cancelled and the centre where the exam took place will become derecognised. Eguridu equally indicated that WAEC has presented a technology that confirms applicants that registered for the exam, indicating that at the point of registration, the biometric features of each candidate will be captured.
He further commented that the captured information will be uploaded into the Council’s database and on the day of the exam, the features uploaded into a handheld devise at the centre will work like the card reader does to authenticate that it is the candidate that writes the exam.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, MacJohn Nwaobiala has also appealed to WAEC candidates to avoid circumstances that could incriminate them in the examination hall, so as not to jeopardise their future.