After heightened anger among parents and guardians of students who sat for this year’s Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) over a prolonged delay in the release of the results of their wards, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), organisers of the examination, has finally released the results.

An SMS sent to News Express on Tuesday evening by WAEC reads: “Lagos State Public Schools Results Now On The Net. Regards.”

For some days now, News Express had been investigating the reason behind the delay to release the results of students of public schools in Lagos State as against those of candidates of the same examination from private schools in the state.

Informed sources had told this paper that the delay was due to non-payment of the examination fees for the candidates by the state government. It will be recalled that in line with its free education policy, the State Government pays for registration of students in public schools for the SSCE.

Affected students, parents and guardians had been apprehensive about the delay in releasing the results, afraid that it might affect admission of the candidates into the University.

A parent, Mrs Grace Umunna had told News Express, "I am really worried about the delay of WAEC to release the results. My son's pro UME test comes up next week. He is seeking admission to study medicine in one of the Federal universities in the east. How will he be admitted without his SSCE result? Why should the state government do this to us? If (Governor) Ambode was not ready to pay the examination fees for our children, why didn't he say so? At least the parents and guardians would have paid for their wards."

An official at the national office of WAEC who pleaded for anonymity told News Express this afternoon that the results were intentionally being delayed because Lagos State Government did not pay the candidates' examination fees to WAEC. In the words of the official, "As at noon yesterday, the state government was yet to pay for the candidates. Many states who had promised to pay for their candidates in the past did not keep their own side of the bargain. A particular state in the south-west (name withheld by News Express) is yet to pay for the over 90 candidates they registered last year for the same examination. We cannot continue that way. They cannot use their political promises to disrupt our operations.”

The official, however, disclosed that Lagos State had made the payment into WAEC’s bank account only yesterday evening (Monday), and the deposit alert received by 6pm that yesterday. The official assured that after the normal quality control and final vetting, the results would be posted on the net by 4-5pm yesterday.

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