President Mahama cautions WAEC to protect integrity
President John Dramani Mahama, has tasked the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to protect the integrity of its examinations by preventing the frequent examination leakages.
He said WAEC is an independent examination body therefore Government would not interfere in its operations and asked officials of WAEC to put its house in order.
“It is most discouraging when students have prepared assiduously for three years only to be confronted with incidence of examination leakages,” he added.
President Mahama was speaking at the inauguration of a 251-room and a 540-bed four-storey hostel facility for the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), in Tarkwa, in the Western Region.
He said he had asked the Bureau and National Investigations (BNI) to work with WAEC and deal drastically with anyone found culpable in such negative practices.
President Mahama recalled the examination leakages that confronted the writing of last year’s Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE), which necessitated investigations by the BNI.
He said two persons are being prosecuted while three officials of WAEC had been dismissed.
He said although WAEC informed the government of its intentions to carry out reforms in the conduct of its examinations and, therefore, expressed disappointment with another examination leakage in this year’s West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations.
The President said his government had approved the establishment of the School of Petroleum Engineering at the University and gave the assurance that it would assist the University authorities to make it the best on the continent.
He pointed out that aside the new administrative block being constructed by the government for UMaT, it would also put up five bungalows for the academic staff, as well as, construct roads on the campus in addition to providing a 150-seater bus.
The President commended the University Council and Academic Board for maintaining its focus by pursuing programmes in engineering and technology.
Professor Jerry Kuma, the Vice Chancellor of UMaT, expressed joy at the level of support the government had extended to the University.
He said the University had constructed a new hostel at the cost of GH¢12,898.186.01, which had increased student population and improved accommodation on campus to about 65 percent.
In addition, he said, the University had provided mechanised borehole and 10,000 litres of poly tanks to ensure regular supply of water for the students.
Source: GNA