The National Examinations Committee (NEC) of WAEC on Thursday said that it had cancelled results of candidates involved in examination malpractices at the 2014 examinations.

Mr Damianus Ojijeogu of the Public Affairs Department in WAEC disclosed this in a statement in Lagos.

He said that the decision was taken at the 59th meeting of the committee.

Ojijeogu said that the communiqué of the meeting was signed by an officer at the Public Affairs Department of WAEC, Mr Damianus Ojijeogu.

It said the committee reviewed a report on irregularity and special and clemency cases arising from the conduct of the May/June 2014 West African Senior School Certificate (WASSCE) at the meeting.

According to the statement, the communiqué also said that the committee considered a report on the conduct of the November/December 2014 WASSCE, including irregularity cases arising from the conduct of the examination.

It said that there were proven cases of malpractices by some candidates.

“In the course of considering the various reported cases of malpractice, the committee, after diligent deliberations, approved appropriate sanctions in all established cases of malpractice.

“This action is as prescribed by the rules and regulations governing the conduct of the council’s examinations.

“It approved that the entire results of such candidates involved in proven cases be cancelled.

“The communiqué also recommended that the subjects’ results of those involved in proven cases of malpractice be similarly cancelled.

“In addition, some candidates will also suffer other sanctions such as barring them from sitting for the council’s examinations for a certain number of years,” it said.

The statement further said that the decisions of the committee would be implemented without delay, while the affected candidates would be duly informed by the council.

It, however, said that the results of candidates exonerated by the committee would be released.

According to the communiqué, the committee’s sanctions would also be imposed on all the ad-hoc examination staff that condoned the malpractice.

It said: “The committee has directed all the ad-hoc examination functionaries, who were indicted of involvement or condoning malpractice during the conduct of the examination, be reported to appropriate state Ministries of Education.

“The ad-hoc examination functionaries, who participated during the November/December 2014 WASSCE, would also be reported to relevant bodies for disciplinary action.

“This will be in addition to the sanctions imposed on them by the council.

“The committee, as in previous meetings, strongly expressed concern at the alarming incidence of malpractice in examinations and urged stakeholders to join hands in curbing the menace.”

According to the communiqué, identified weaknesses of candidates are mentioned in the reports including poor mathematical skills and Geography 3.

It also identified other weaknesses ranging from poor handwriting, omission of units in their final answers to numerical problems in Physics 2 and inability to spell technical terms correctly as observed in Biology 3 and Health, among others.

The communiqué suggested the need for students to learn the basic principles and concepts in the various subjects and apply them in solving everyday problems as some of the remedies.

It urged the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission to urgently facilitate the recognition of the newly introduced trade subjects.

According to the communiqué, these subjects should be added to the list of acceptable subjects for admission into universities.

It said that the committee had, before their deliberations, unanimously elected Mrs Fatima Abdulrahaman, to act as the chairman.

Abdulrahaman is the National President, All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS). (NAN)

•Photo shows students in exam hall.

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