At least 15 people have recently returned certificates issued to them by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC). They explained this action by the fact they were cheating during the examination, and now as Born Again Christians, they could not live with “the sin.”
According to Saturday Sun, some of the people had approached WAEC through letters seeking restitution, after they had confessed how they dubiously acquired their certificates, when they wrote the examinations at various periods.
WAEC replied, stating that what they were expected to do was to return the certificates awarded in line with the rules and regulations guiding the conduct of the examinations. However, only few responded, including a holder of Teachers’ Grade 11 certificate.
It has been revealed that those who complied with the directive returned their certificates to various WAEC offices nationwide.
The council took their case to the Nigeria Examinations Committee (NEC), which has cancelled the returned 15 certificates at its 55th meeting in Lagos.
“The listed candidates, in their letters of restitution, confessed that they were involved in various forms of examination malpractices in various years as indicated against their numbers. They have returned the original certificates issued to them,” a statement by NEC said.
The returned certificates by the Born Again Christians were for both the May/June (school exam) and November/December (private candidate) West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
A breakdown of the year the examinations were taken revealed that the oldest dates back to June 1983 with certificate # SG 288999. The next is dated June 1990 (RS0680084c), June 1992 (NGSS 0994156), June 1995 (NGSS0265147) and December 1995 (NGSP 0169397), December 1996 (NGSP 0575264), December 2000 (NGWASSCP 038771), June 2001 (NGWASSCS 2451037).
Others are June 2002, two certificates with NGWASSCP 4100224 and NGWASSCS 3894794 were returned and cancelled, June 2003 (NGWASSCS 5009313), June 2006 two born again Christian returned certificates with NGWASSCP 7747466 and NGWASSCS 8423755, December 2008 (NGWASSCP 05790031) and June 2010 NGWASSCP 13327157.
There are several Verses in the Bible to support restitution, which conform to what the 15 Born Again Christians did by confessing their sins and sought restitution from WAEC.
In 1 John 1:9 says: “If we confess our sins, this is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”.
While Numbers 5:6-7 says: “When a man or woman commits any of the sins that people commit by breaking faith with the Lord, and that person realizes his guilt, he shall confess his sin that he has committed. And he shall make full restitution for his wrong”.
The names and other details of the 15 confessed persons may not be disclosed, as WAEC officials said it would amount to violation of the rights of the individuals involved and that of commission’s ethics.