LOKOJA, North-Central, Nigeria – Kogi State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mr Wemi Jones, has said the ministry will set up a committee to investigate the involvement of principals in  examination malpractices in the state.

Jones said he was surprised when WAEC officials on Thursday forwarded a letter to his office, intimating him that 61 secondary schools in the state were grossly involved in examination malpractices in the 2022 examinations.

“The West African Examinations Council, (WAEC) has delisted 61 secondary schools in Kogi State for gross malpractice in the 2022 WAEC examinations.

“This, I am not going to let it go. We are going to sanction any principal found wanting in this unwholesome behaviour that is tarnishing the good image of the state”, he said.

The Commissioner disclosed this in Kabba while presiding over final distribution of chemistry and physics textbooks to 95 Senior Secondary Schools in Kogi West Senatorial District.

The distribution of the textbooks which was done under the ministry’s schools adoption and mentorship programmes were donated by Alhaji Usman Ododo, the state Auditor-General of Local Government as part of efforts to enhance the studies of science subjects in the state.

According to him, similar complain was tendered by WAEC in 2019 when 51 secondary schools were involved

The Commissioner noted that things started getting better in 2020, 2021 when the numbers of schools deregistered by WAEC reduced from 51 to one as a result of serious warning from the ministry of education to principals of schools.

He promised to sanction any principal found wanting to serve as deterrent to others, saying “the state government cannot be investing hugely in education sector while others will be sabotaging our efforts, giving the state bad name.

“We are aware that when WAEC charged registration fees of N23,000, principals charged over N40,000 for logistic so as to indulge in examination malpractices.

“We will curb the situation by sanctioning whoever is found wanting in the act through the 2020 Kogi state educational law, ” he assured.

The Commissioner who also frown at the existence of illegal private tertiary institutions in the state, assured that very soon the ministry would clampdown on them.