The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has raised concerns over the delay in releasing the results of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), attributing the setback to unresolved financial issues.
In an interview with Citi News, John Kapi, WAEC’s Head of Public Affairs, explained that the delay is a direct result of outstanding financial obligations to technicians responsible for maintaining critical equipment used in processing the examination results.
“The results are not ready. We issued a statement earlier highlighting some of the challenges we are currently facing. Unfortunately, these challenges persist because we have not been able to secure the necessary funds to address them,” Mr. Kapi stated.
A major factor contributing to the delay is the malfunctioning of specialised scanners, which are essential for grading objective questions. According to Mr. Kapi, these scanners are currently out of service due to unpaid debts owed to the technicians who maintain them.
“We needed to repair our scanners because we owe the technicians GH₵25 million, and they have withdrawn their services until we make some financial commitments. Private schools pay their fees, but the government pays for candidates in public schools, and so until the monies are paid, we are unable to release the results,” he explained.
The technicians have reportedly suspended their services until WAEC settles the GH₵25 million debt, further compounding the Council’s ability to complete the grading process.
The financial strain facing WAEC has drawn the attention of the Minority in Parliament, who have called for the Finance and Education Ministers to be summoned to provide clarity on the government’s indebtedness to WAEC.
