The Director-General of the Benue State Education Quality Assurance Agency, Terna Francis, announced that the state government is committed to eradicating corruption and inefficiencies within its education sector, on Thursday.
Francis emphasized that the administration under Governor Hyacinth Alia is determined to correct these issues.
One significant problem highlighted by Francis involves a high school principal who replaced the names of 115 Senior Secondary School 3 (SSS 3) students with external candidates for the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
“The principal had collected examination fees from these students but substituted their names with those of external candidates who had also paid fees privately.”
Francis elaborated, saying, “We received a petition from parents of an SSS 3 student in Makurdi, where the principal removed the student’s name, who had been in the school since SSS 1, from the list of candidates eligible for the state government’s palliative WASSCE fees. The principal then replaced it with an external candidate after collecting money from them.”
The agency conducted an investigation and discovered that the names of 115 students had been substituted.
The matter has been reported to the Governor, and further recommendations are awaited.
Additionally, Francis revealed another case involving a secondary school principal who removed equipment from the school laboratory and sold it to a private school to help them gain accreditation for examinations.
These incidents underscore the level of corruption plaguing the education sector in Benue State.
“However, the current administration’s commitment to addressing and rectifying these anomalies brings hope for a significant overhaul in the sector, ensuring that students receive the benefits and education they deserve.”
