• Receive petition to review South-East slot in NNPCL management</strong
• Mull bill to change Trusts leadership over non-performance
House of Representatives has warned that the planned introduction of Computer-Based Testing (CBT) by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) in 2026 could trigger widespread failure among students if implemented without adequate preparation.
The lawmakers urged the Federal Ministry of Education and WAEC to suspend the rollout until schools across the country, particularly in rural areas, are equipped with computers, reliable power supply, internet connectivity, and qualified teachers to manage the digital examinations.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Kelechi Wogu during yesterday’s plenary presided over by the Speaker, Abbas Tajudeen.
The motion, titled “Need for Intervention to Avert the Pending Massive Failure of Candidates Intending to Write the 2026 WAEC Examination Using Computer-Based Testing (CBT), Capable of Causing Depression and Deaths of Students,” observed concerns about the preparedness of schools nationwide.
WAEC, with the backing of the Federal Government, had earlier announced plans to conduct the 2026 May/June examination using computers, following the partial rollout of the model for private candidates in 2024.
IN another development yesterday, the House received a petition seeking a review of the South East slot in the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), currently occupied by Sophia Mbakwe.
The petition, submitted by Ezi Umuada Igbo, a prominent socio-cultural association, allegedly claimed that Mbakwe, who is from a non-South-East state, is occupying a position meant for a representative of the region.
The petition was formally laid before the House by the Chairman of the House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Ikenga Ugochinyere, during plenary presided over by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.
The House of Representatives is expected to carry out a thorough investigation into the petition in the coming weeks.
The House of Representatives, it has also been gathered, may soon consider a bill for a law to change the leadership of some Trusts that have received funding but have yet to execute one project after more than one year of existence.
The Chairman, House Committee on Host communities, Dumnamene Dekor, gave this indication while speaking during the Bridges Project Host Community Development Trust Stakeholders Dialogue Forum held in Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
The Bridges Project, which was launched in 2023, has served as a transformative platform for dialogue and collaboration among regulators, settlors, and host communities.
In her keynote address on behalf of the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the Commission’s Manager, Host Community Development Administration, Mrs Omolade Awah, commended PIND and the Ford Foundation for ‘’fostering dialogue and evidence-based engagement that strengthen transparency and accountability under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).’’
