Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja

Governor Abdulazeez Yari of Zamfara State who is also the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, NGF, has attributed the failure of some states to pay the West African School Certificates, WASC fees of their students to difficulties in ascertaining how much was actually involved.

The West African Examination Council, the body saddled with the responsibility of administering the examinations has recently complained that about 19 Nigerian States owed it about N4 billion in unpaid examinations fees.

WAEC which said the debt is affecting its operations had consequently threatened to withhold the results of candidates who wrote the May/June 2015 WASSCE from the 19 debtor states.

But Yari said the debtor States have not paid the fees because they are trying to ascertain the actual sum involved. The Governor, who said his State is also indebted to WAEC added that discussions to resolve the debt problems is already going on with the examination body.

“We are in that trouble. But the reason we are in that trouble is because we cannot ascertain the exact figure, which one is for the public, which one is for the private. It is a mix up. Some state governments need to verify between the WAEC and their ministries of education and other departments of education. So, that’s why some states cannot pay,” said Yari.

He also noted that some states which are offering free education and are also paying the WAEC examinations fees might have been affected by the ongoing financial crunch.
The Governor added that such states which are finding it difficult to pay salaries, may also not give regard to secondary expenses like payment of the examinations fees. He however added that the NGF will discuss with the Governor of the States affected for the sake of the children involved.

“I think it’s something that we will discuss with some of the governors concerned and WAEC so that we will be able to know how this thing should not happen because of the future of our children,” said Yari.

The Chairman of NGF added that financial bailout to states by the Federal Government was to prevent states from becoming failed states.

According to him, the Federal Government cannot fold its hands while the states are in trouble.

On the confiscation of some states’ shares of NLNG proceeds by banks, the NGF Chairman said the States must have been indebted to the banks before such action can be taken.