There was mild drama at the house of representatives on Tuesday when the committee on basic examination bodies ordered the detention of four officials of the West African Examination Council (WAEC).
The WAEC officials — Amos Josiah Dangut, head of national office, WAEC Nigeria; Angus Okeleze, senior deputy registrar; Victor Odu, acting director of finance; and Segun Jerumeh, deputy director of finance — were detained by the sergeant-at-arms for about 20 minutes at the behest of the committee.
Uchenna Okonkwo, a member of the committee, moved a motion for the arrest of the officials for “failing to adequately answer” lawmakers’ questions.
The panel accused the examination body of not being accountable to parliament.
While briefing the committee, Dangut said WAEC is not an agency of government and therefore cannot be as accountable as other agencies.
He said WAEC Nigeria is a signatory to the WAEC convention which means it is not a parastatal of government.
He was countered by the lawmakers who insisted that WAEC Nigeria is a creation of an Act of parliament, and must be accountable to the national assembly because it receives appropriation.
“WAEC is subject to Nigeria’s laws. We have reviewed the position and we have all the powers to oversight you. You cannot come here and say WAEC is not an agency of government,” the committee chairman said.
Okonkwo then moved a motion for the arrest of the WAEC officials.
“I will like to move a motion that while pending the investigation to look into the activities of WAEC Nigeria, the invited guests before us should be taken into custody and held at the police post while we seek for solutions for these issues they are bringing upon Nigerians,” Okonkwo said.
The motion was seconded by Marie Ebikake, a member of the committee.
The officials protested the committee’s ruling.
They were subsequently detained for about 20 minutes and released
