Government's GH¢25m payment is 'a drop in the ocean' - WAEC

Ghana's education sector is facing a crisis as the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) struggles to release the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results due to a significant debt owed by the government.

Despite a recent payment of GH¢25 million, WAEC has expressed disappointment, stating that the funds are grossly insufficient to cover the GH¢118 million debt.

The delayed release of the results has sparked widespread concern among students, parents, and educational institutions.

WAEC's Head of Public Relations, John Kapi, at a press briefing emphasized that the payment is merely a "drop in the ocean" compared to the amount needed to facilitate the release of the results and support the Council's operations.

According to him, WAEC owes its technicians GH¢25 million, which must be paid before work can commence on processing the results. He also stated that the Council has other operational costs that need to be covered.

“Obviously, that [the GH¢25 million] was just a drop in the ocean as far as the amount of money required for the job we are supposed to do is concerned. We indicated to the minister earlier that we owed our technicians GH¢25 million, which we had to pay before they even started to work on the machines. Besides, there are other operations that we have to do.

“Obviously, it is inadequate. If we decide to invite the technicians today or even tomorrow, all they are going to ask for is the outstanding payment. And so all of that GH¢25 million will go.”

The government's failure to settle its debt has brought WAEC's operations to a standstill, leaving the education sector in limbo.

Source: Lead News Online