WAEC speaks on cancelling 2020 WASSCE

The West African Examinations Council, WAEC, has stated that West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination, 2020 WASSCE, has not been cancelled.

In a statement by the Head of WAEC, Nigeria, Mr. Patrick Areghan, on Sunday, the body explained that a notice alleging the cancellation of 2020 WASSCE was false.

He said: “Our attention has been drawn to a fake publication circulating in the social media, to the effect that the West African Examinations Council had cancelled the 2020 WASSCE for school candidates as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and was, therefore, set to refund N22,500 to candidates who had enrolled for the examination.

“The publication is patently false and deceitful. It is nothing but the handiwork of mischief-makers, who are out to defraud innocent and unsuspecting candidates and their parents/guardians.

“This piece of news is certainly not from the West African Examinations Council, WAEC. It falls short of the Council’s style, language and factual details. They got it all wrong.

“The examination was supposed to start in Nigeria on April 6, 2020 and not April 15, 2020, as stated by the authors.

“The examination fee is N13,950 only, not N22,500. It is, therefore, not reasonable to refund candidates an amount higher than what they had paid to register for the examination.

“WAEC, as an examining body in the sub-region, has not announced the cancellation of the 2020 WASSCE; it only announced a postponement until normalcy is restored.

“WAEC couldn’t have made a mistake in the full meaning of its acronym.”

He said on March 20, WAEC announced the postponement of the examination in appreciation of the realities of the moment and in complete deference to the Federal Government, regarding its various control measures against the spread of the COVID-19.

Areghan added: “We wish to use this opportunity to reassure all registered candidates, schools and other stakeholders that once the situation returns to normal, the Council will come up with a new international timetable for the conduct of2020 WASSCE in the West African sub-region, after due consultations with relevant stakeholders.