In a dramatic turn of events, four WAEC officials were arrested and briefly detained by the Nigeria Police Force on Tuesday, following a heated argument with the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Examination Bodies.
Heated Argument Over Accountability
The officials, including Amos Dangut, Head of the National Office of WAEC Nigeria, were summoned to account for their expenditure. However, they failed to provide satisfactory responses, leading to a motion for their arrest.
WAEC Officials Claim Independence
Dangut argued that WAEC is not a government agency and therefore not accountable to the parliament. However, lawmakers maintained that WAEC Nigeria was established by an Act of the National Assembly and must account to the people’s representatives.
Brief Detention and Release
The officials were detained for about 15 minutes before being released after a brief closed-door session. They were ordered to prepare for another appearance and present relevant documents, including audited statements of accounts and details of a N5bn loan .
Committee Chairman Warns WAEC
Oforji Oboku, Committee Chairman, emphasized that WAEC cannot operate outside the supervision of the National Assembly, stating, “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” .
