Ekekeee, Lagos
Offenders of the laws guiding the West African School Certificate (WAEC) examinations would henceforth spend 5years in jail or pay the fine of N200,000.
The decision was taken at Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council meeting, following the approval of an enactment Act to amend the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) Act.
Minister of Education, Prof Ruqayyatu Rufai, alongside the ministers of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, Environment, Hadiza Mailafia and Information, Labaran Maku, told State House Correspondents that the approval was meant to give effect to the revised convention of WAEC, 2003 in Nigeria.
The approval was sequel to a memo brought before the Council by Rufai seeking approval for the enactment of an Act to amend the WAEC Act, CAP W4, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004 to give effect to the revised convention of WAEC, 2003 in Nigeria.
The 2004 Act, which is to be amended is empowered to take disciplinary action against those who have committed both the offences and penalties for illegally using examination papers and leakage of examination papers, etc.
Section 19(1) of the Act reads in part as follows: “such candidate shall not take or be allowed to take or continue the examination, in addition, he shall be prohibited from taking any examination held or conducted by or on behalf of the Council for a period of two years immediately following upon such contraventions and if a candidate aforesaid has already taken any papers at the examination, his result therefrom shall be cancelled.”
In addition, the candidate may be prosecuted and if found guilty shall be “liable on conviction to a fine of N2,000 or imprisonment for a term of five years or to both such fine and imprisonment.”
20 (2) reads: “the penalties contained in this sub-section (a) may be imposed whether or not a prosecution for an offence under section 20 or 21 of this Act has been brought or is being conducted or contemplated and (b) shall be in addition to such other penalties as a court may impose upon conviction for an offence under the aforesaid section 20 or 21.”
WAEC was established in 1952 following the acceptance of the Jeffery Report by the then colonial governments in Gold Coast (Ghana) , Nigeria, Sierra Leone and the Gambia and later joined by Liberia in 1974.
The Council further directed the Ministry of Justice to take further necessary action on the subject.
Council also approved a memo tendered by the minister of interior, Abba Moro seeking approval for the draft national fire safety code for implementation nationwide.
The national fire safety code prescribes minimum standards for the establishment of a reasonable level of fire safety, property protection from hazards resulting from fire, explosion and hazardous materials.
The national fire safety code stipulates safety requirements in buildings estate, markets and similar structures which must be met before approval of building development plans are granted by relevant authorities.
After deliberation, council approved the draft national fire safety code for implantation in nigeria and asked the Minister to submit the draft code to the national council of state.
Council also approved the adoption of the national health waste management policy and guidelines, and the establishment of a proposed National steering committee.
This was following a joint memo presented by the Ministers of Environment and Health seeking council’s approval for the adoption of the National Healthcare management policy and the setting up of a national steering committee to implement the policy in the country.
Nigeria is a signatory to the Basel Convention on control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous wastes and disposal, the domestication of which is in progress and which necessitated the need for a national health waste policy, guideline and strategic plan but it currently doesn’t have a coordinated healthcare waste management system, especially in the area of segregation, collection, storage, treatment and disposal.
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