WAEC: 56 Fraudulent Website Operators Involved In Malpractice Exposed

As the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates continues, the West African Examination Council (WAEC) has identified a total of 56 fraudulent website operators involved in examination malpractice.

This was disclosed by the Head of the National Office of Council, Patrick Areghan while carrying out a monitoring exercise in Lagos on Thursday.

Areghan further revealed that so far, no fewer than 20 school officials, suspected to be assisting in examination malpractices, had been arrested and handed over to the police.

“There have been issues like candidates copying in the examination hall, some examiners dictating or writing on the chalkboard for candidates, smuggling materials in and out of the hall and other forms of collusion.

“But, most worrisome too, is the issue of rogue websites.

“Now, let me tell you confidently that so far, we have identified 56 of these rogue website operators and those who patronise them, and we are going to pick them up.

“The materials that candidates see on these rogue websites are all fake, as most times, the operators resort to photoshopping.

“They can just superimpose 2023 on top of a paper of 2020 and use it to deceive them.

"By the time they get to the examination hall, they become blank, as everything will become strange to them,” Areghan said.

The WAEC Official further maintained that the council had gathered the number of arrests made so far and would see it that justice prevails.

He stated that the council was in good cooperation with the Inspector-General of Police and other military formations throughout the nation.

According to him, examination malpractice is as old as education itself but it does not mean people should partake in any form of the act.

He urged education ministries, the government, and higher institutions to uphold their obligations in order to prevent the impending collapse of the education system.

Governments should ensure that they provide teaching facilities, such as laboratories, libraries and a host of others.

“They should also recruit adequate and qualified teachers and get these schools well monitored and supervised to ensure that the children are being taught well.

“The principals on the other hand must ensure that they maintain absolute discipline and also ensure that the teachers teach.

“They must also ensure that the syllabus is covered. Every school must have at least two copies of the WAEC syllabus and every teacher must have a copy.

“We even encourage candidates to buy their own copies so that they will know what they are supposed to be taught,’’ he said.

He further advised, “Parents should get children equipped with necessary materials. Get them books and encourage them to go to school.

“Stop funding illegalities for them, especially by paying to get examination questions that are nonexistent. They must not be the ones to mislead and destroy the future of their children.

“It is time to sanitise the education system of this country.’’

Areghan who emphasised the importance of education said: 

“I have said it over and over again. Education is the bedrock of society.

“It is the vehicle to development.

“The quality of assessment in any nation determines the quality of education and the quality of education determines the level of development and the quality of that country,” he said.

He maintained that everything in the nation is destroyed if education is destroyed, noting that all hands must be on deck for things to be made right.