The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s recent payment of GH¢25 million toward its outstanding GH¢118 million debt.
The Council stated that the payment is insufficient to address its operational challenges, particularly the delay in releasing the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results.
Speaking during a media interaction, WAEC’s Head of Public Relations, John Kapi, emphasized the severity of the situation.
“Obviously, that [the GH¢25 million] was just a drop in the ocean as far as the amount of money required for the job we are supposed to do is concerned,” he said.
Mr. Kapi explained that the funds would barely cover immediate arrears, such as payments owed to technicians, which must be settled before critical machinery maintenance can proceed.
“We indicated to the minister earlier that we owed our technicians GH¢25 million, which we had to pay before they even started to work on the machines. Besides, there are other operations that we have to do,” he said.
He further elaborated on the urgency of the issue, stating that if the technicians were called to begin work immediately, the entire GH¢25 million would be depleted, leaving no funds for other operational needs.
The delay in releasing the WASSCE results has triggered widespread concern among students, parents, and educational institutions.
WAEC’s financial difficulties continue to hinder its ability to fulfill critical obligations, raising questions about the timeliness of future examination processes.
Stakeholders are now calling on the government to prioritize addressing WAEC’s financial constraints to prevent further disruptions in the education sector.
