Kogi State Government has charged Examination Misconduct, Investigation and Disciplinary Committee to investigate the involvement of Schools and Persons indicted in the conduct of the 2024 West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in the state.
The State Commissioner for Education, Wemi Jones, who gave the charge on Tuesday while inaugurating the committee in Lokoja the state capital, described examination malpractice as a cankerworm that must be stem in the bud as it affects the future of children.
According to him, the committee is to investigate the level of involvement of schools and persons and to recommend the appropriate punishment for indicted persons in line with the provision of the Kogi State Education Law and Other Matters Connected Therewith, 2020.
The commissioner further stated that the newly inaugurated Committee had one week to submit their report and charged the members to work with a clear conscience and also to be fair and just in the discharge of their responsibilities.
Government will implement the recommendation of the Committee as the current administration of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo abhors examination fraud,” he said.
“The State has invested so much in education and will not allow the activities of some principals in connivance with some supervisors to derail the progress being made in education.”
He mentioned the members of the committee to include the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Jibrin Saidu Alhaji as Chairman and the Director of Administration, Omolayo Barikisu Onozare as Secretary.
Other members of the committee were drawn from the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Education, Kogi State Secondary Education Commission (KOSEC), State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), West African Examination Council (WAEC), NECO, NABTEB, ANCOPSS and NUT.
In his remark, the Permanent Secretary, Jibrin Saidu, who is the Chairman of the Committee promised that the committee would do a thorough job and would be fair and just in carrying out the task.
It would be recalled the that West African Examination Council (WAEC) de-recognized some schools for their involvement in aiding and abetting malpractice and blacklisted some supervisors in the conduct of WASSCE for 2024 School candidates in the state.
