WAEC commissions new Abia branch

IN line with its new policy of not operating from rented apartments, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) on Friday commissioned its N210.6 million Abia State branch office in Umuahia.

During the event, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu said was imperative to partner the agency to realize his administration’s five-point agenda, which includes education.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Patricia Amuta, the governor said the state would continue to support WAEC and was in that regard partnering it to root out exam malpractices. “We show our support and strengthen in the number of candidates we enroll for your examinations each year, the volume of money we generate for WAEC in this exercise and the fact that we do not owe WAEC, like some states. Our students do very well indeed in these examinations,” he noted.

He assured that Abia would continue to train and retrain teachers and supervisors for free conduct of examinations. On their part, the Head of the Nigeria National Office of WAEC, Charles Eguridu, thanked the state for the land on which the office was built.

Expressing concern over the failure rate in WASSCE examinations, he said the body has launched a programme to equip teachers to complete the examination syllabus, for which a technical team would visit the state and also sensitise school principals, teachers and students on exam malpractices.

The Umuahia office, according to the state head/controller, Echaria Onodu, caters for 608 schools in 31 custodial zones.

ANAN chief warns against shunning programmes Meanwhile, the President and Chairman of Council, the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN), Anthony Chukwuemeka Nzom, has enjoined accountants to assist government with timely and qualitative information as well as support it in policy implementation.

He also enjoined them to back other Nigerian professionals with sound professional advice to the government on the myriad of problems confronting the country.

Nzom spoke at the conclusion of ANAN’s 2015 Mandatory Continuing Professional Development (MCPD) programme in Umuahia, adding that the programme aimed at updating accountants with the latest trend in the profession and global requirements.

However, he said that members who shun ANAN programmes like the MCDP might be sanctioned because the programme improves professional skills for tougher challenges posed by changing trends, among others.