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WAEC officials detained for challenging Reps probe
Despite a protest by the WAEC officials, they were led away by the Sergeant at Arms of the National Assembly and detained for about 15 minutes.
However, after a brief closed-door session, the committee ordered their release and mandated them to go home and prepare for another appearance.
The committee chairman, Oforji Oboku, urged them to come along with the audited statement of accounts of the examination body from 2018 to 2024 at a date that will be communicated.
He also directed that they must present relevant documents concerning the N5bn loan that WAEC got in 2022 to buy customised calculators, among others.
The chairman warned that WAEC could not operate outside the supervision of the National Assembly.
“You are not different from any other agency. We are not here for a witch-hunt. WAEC is subject to Nigeria’s laws. We have reviewed the position and we have all the powers to oversight you. You cannot come here and say WAEC is not an agency of government.”
On the directive of the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Examination Bodies, four representatives of the West African Examination Council were taken into custody by Nigerian police officers on Tuesday.
Acting Director of Finance Victor Odu, Deputy Director of Finance Segun Jerumeh, Senior Deputy Registrar Angus Okeleze, and Head of National Office, WAEC Nigeria, Amos Dangut, representing the Registrar, were among the officials arrested.
Uchenna Okonkwo, a committee member, filed a request to arrest them after the officials did not satisfactorily respond to the panel's questions.
Dangut, one of the WAEC officials, argued with the MPs during the inquiry session, claiming that the examination body was not a government entity and, as such, was not accountable to the parliament.
However, the lawmakers insisted that WAEC Nigeria was a creation of an Act of the National Assembly, hence, must render account to the parliament who are the representatives of the people.
"I would like to move a motion that the guest before us should be taken into custody and held at the police post while we seek solutions to these issues they are bringing upon Nigerians," Okonkwo stated, pending the inquiry into the operations of WAEC Nigeria.
Marie Ebikake, a member representing the Brass/Nembe Federal Constituency in Bayelsa State, seconded the motion.
The National Assembly's Sergeant at Arms brought the WAEC officials away after they objected, and they were held for roughly fifteen minutes.
But following a quick meeting behind closed doors, the committee decided to order their release and told them to return home to be ready for another appearance.
Oforji Oboku, the committee chairman, pleaded with them to accompany the audited statement of accounts of the examination body from 2018 to 2024 at a date that will be communicated.
In addition, he gave them instructions to provide pertinent documentation on the N5 billion loan that WAEC received in 2022 to purchase bespoke calculators, among other things.
The chairman issued a warning, saying that WAEC could not function without the National Assembly's oversight.
"You and any other agency are the same. We are not conducting a witch hunt here. WAEC is governed by Nigerian law. After reviewing the role, we are fully capable of supervising you. You cannot claim that WAEC is not a government agency when you are here.