Date: 2017-04-20

Some Public schools in Kwara State are reportedly engaged in huge exploitation of candidates of the ongoing West African Examination Council (WAEC), National Pilot learnt, last night.

In some of the schools in Ilorin West, East and South within the metropolis, it was gathered that candidates were mandated to pay N2,000 extra in addition to the N23,000 they had earlier parted with for the examination.

The money, it was gathered, was reportedly to assist the principals involved to provide "logistics" for invigilators of various subjects.

Investigation by this medium revealed that some of the school officials involved collected the funds in order to assist the candidates in cheating in order to pass the examination.

A parent who confided in this medium because of its sensitivity said when one of the principals of a public secondary school in Ilorin South was confronted over the matter he denied exploiting the candidates but said the money was meant to assist them during the period of their examination.

"After we have managed to pay the WAEC fee, my son was on my neck for another N2,000 which he claimed was for "logistics". I had to follow my child to the school to find out and I discovered it was real and it was even institutionalised.

"Imagine N2,000 per candidate and we are talking about close to 200 candidates. That is just for one of the schools. In this period of recession, when money is hard to come by! This is nothing but exploitation", she added.

But one of the school principals who confirmed the development to this medium said the action was borne out of the desire to make money out of the examination in order to assist the students and also swell the registration number in his school.

He added that if they refused to offer the service, most of the parents that are complaining now about exploitation will withdraw their children to schools that offer such.

According to the school official, "If we refused to do it, these same parents will withdraw their students to schools that provide assistance for them during the examination.

"Part of the reasons we are enforcing the fee was because when we decide to assist only those students who paid cannot be isolated. Others that refused to pay will also be incorporated. This is the issue." One of the candidates who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation said two answers to subjects have been printed for them so far adding that some of them have no control over which subject the school chose to help them on.

Efforts to get the Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Engr. Musa Ayinla Yeketi were not successful as at the time of filing this report. Calls to his MTN line were not answered and text messages sent were yet to be replied.