The National Examination Council says over ₦6 billion was deducted from its Treasury Single Account (TSA) by the Ministry of Finance.
Registrar/Chief Executive of NECO, Prof Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi made this known at a press briefing in Minna, noting that the deduction was done while NECO was still on the list of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) that remit 25% of generated revenue to government coffers,
“From 2021 to June (this year), the Ministry of Finance has deducted from NECO’s Treasury Single Account, the total of ₦6,023,145,000:23K”, the Chief Executive explained.
Prof Wushishi who was speaking on the achievements during his one year at office said NECO had deployed a cutting-edge software to ensure precise grade value for every subject in its examinations.
On the successes recorded in recent times in the conduct of the school-based Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) as well as National Common Entrance Examination of unity schools, Prof Wushishi said mechanisms to reduce cases of malpractice and other challenges.
Some of the measures according to Prof Wushishi include; deployment of robust security surveillance for exam papers and officials, improved welfare mechanisms for staff and examiners, use of foolproof software in selection of NECO staff on monitoring duties, among others.
“In 2020, we had over 30,000 cases of exam malpractice. In 2021 we had just about 20,000 and this year we have confidence it will reduce to the barest minimum. In our last BECE the malpractice was about 600 cases and this year it was less than 100,” he said.
Wushishi further clarified that over ₦2 billion of the debts owed the council by some states were yet to be recovered.
Reporting by Daniel Adejo; editing by Muzha Kucha