High Court orders WAEC to release withheld WASSCE results

The High Court has directed the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to immediately release the withheld results of candidates who sat for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

The court ruled that WAEC failed to clearly state the alleged examination malpractices or irregularities that led to the results being withheld.

On Thursday, January 30, four students, representing 10,520 affected candidates, filed an application seeking a court order to compel WAEC to release their results.

Representing the applicants, lawyer Martin Kpebu argued that WAEC’s actions violated the students’ rights since the examination body did not explicitly indicate the reason for withholding their results. He highlighted that the delay had deprived many students of admission opportunities, as several tertiary institutions had already closed their portals.

“WAEC states in DA4 that results were withheld due to alleged irregularities, but in DA7, it refers to malpractice. There is no clear definition of irregularities in Exhibit DA2. This failure to link students to a specific offense is a grave violation of their rights,” Kpebu argued.

He further disclosed that WAEC had invited affected students and their lawyers for a discussion on the alleged malpractice but failed to specify the exact offenses in its invitation letter.

Counsel for WAEC, Melisa Amarteyfio, opposed the application, arguing that the council was still investigating the alleged irregularities. She contended that the lawsuit was premature since the applicants had not given WAEC sufficient time to respond before filing the case.

She further explained that WAEC had publicly announced on September 26, 2024, that irregularities had been detected in various schools, and a notice was published in the Daily Graphic, inviting affected students to check their status on WAEC’s website.

Delivering his judgment, Justice Ali Baba Abature ruled that WAEC had failed to specify the exact offenses committed by the students and should have done so. He, therefore, ordered the immediate release of the withheld results.

Following the ruling, WAEC has urged parents and guardians to cooperate as it continues investigating cases of alleged examination malpractice. In a statement dated January 30, signed by Head of Public Affairs John Kapi, WAEC noted that the investigations were at the final stage, requiring students to submit written statements in response to the allegations.

With the court’s order in place, WAEC is now expected to release the results of the affected students immediately.

The post High Court orders WAEC to release withheld WASSCE results first appeared on 3News.

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