Some students of Oke Afa Comprehensive College, Isolo, Lagos, have lamented their inability to access their West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination results.
The students revealed that over 200 who sat the exam.
The West African Examination Council on August 8, 2023, announced the release of 2023 WASSCE in which several students who had good grades had used the results to gain admission into higher institutions.
However, students of Oke Afa Comprehensive High School told The PUNCH that their results had ‘indebted’ all through.
Taiwo Adewole who went to the University Of Osun State, Osogbo, three weeks ago to process his admission was shocked when the admission officer showed him that his result had ‘indebted’ and not grades.
He said it was at the UNIOSUN admission office he got to know he had no WASSCE result after being given admission in Business Administration.
“I printed out my result a week after WAEC announced the release of results and I used it to process my admission. On getting to the UNIOSUN admission officer, I showed her my document but she said she would check from her system, when she checked she showed me and it all read ‘indebted.’ I was shocked. I called my school our principal only said they were working on it. I couldn’t register since then and matriculation is next week, on Thursday,” he said.
Adewole revealed that he had paid about N200,000.00 for the acceptance fee, hostel, and medical fee to UNIOSUN before he realised that he did not have WASSCE.
“I am in the middle of either going home or staying in school. I am not happy at all.”
Another student who gave his name simply as Samson said he had enrolled to learn POP ceiling making when he found out that his WASSCE was showing indebted.
“I have attempted it three times and it all showed indebted I have two more attempts and I don’t want to waste it. I feel bad but I am no longer rushing to go to school as I have already started learning how to make a POP ceiling. Our school should help us pay the debt so we can see our results,” he said.
Principal, Oke Afa Comprehensive College, Mrs Rafat Ogunbiyi, refused to speak with The PUNCH as she cut off the call after saying, “Come to the school.”
Likewise, our correspondent sent a copy of one of the students’ results to WAEC.
Head of Communication, WAEC, Mrs Moyosore Adesina, in a chat, responded, “The school is owing WAEC.”
In addition, a staff at the Lagos State Ministry of Education, who did not want to be mentioned explained that the Lagos State Government had paid for all students’ WASSCE fees, adding that any school whose results showed ‘indebted’ must have violated WAEC rules.
“The Lagos State Government has paid for all SS three students’ WASSCE fees. But some schools are being sanctioned for engaging in examination malpractices or violating other rules and they are usually surcharged by WAEC. If ‘indebted’ is written on the students’ results, that means such a school is one of those surcharged for malpractice during exams. The state government is expected to pay for them and I can tell you the process of payment is on.”