Paying Zamfara Students’ WAEC Fees is Waste of Public Funds, Says Dosara

Funmi Ogundare

Former Commissioner of Information, Zamfara State, Alhaji Ibrahim Dosara, yesterday, explained why the state government had to stop paying fees of students who sit for the West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).

He said the state used to spend huge amount of money on the examination but the students were failing woefully.

He stated that it would amount to a waste of resources if the state continued to pay, adding that they decided to focus on the Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations (SSCE) conducted by the National Examinations Councilor (NECO) when they were in office, because the students were passing it.

Dosara who was a guest on ‘The Morning Show’ on Arise News Channel, spoke on the backdrop of allegations of corruption between former Governor Bello Matawalle and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC).

According to him, “we decided to focus on NECO because the students pass and go to the university. In WAEC, students don’t pass and they remain a problem to the society and this is why the Matawalle administration decided to concentrate on the institution where students pass rather than wasting public funds on what students don’t pass.

“It is a matter of policy and choice whether you do WAEC or NECO, you have the certificate to go to a university.”

Asked why the state was owing salaries of public servants under the Matawalle’s administration, he said in the 40 months of the administration, he had to borrow money from banks to complete and pay salaries.

“But when we lost election, we were unable to secure the credit we used to and no bank agreed to give us credit facility to complete and pay salaries. Within his 40 months administration, he has never failed to pay salaries.

“It is not only Zamfara State that has not paid salaries, other states are owing seven months salaries,” he explained.

Asked why the new state governor, met an empty treasury , the former commissioner stated that Zamfara does not have an internal revenue base, adding that the state allocation from the federal government goes mostly into debt servicing because it inherited huge liabilities and the money is deducted from source.

“The little money that was coming to Matawalle was for salary and we have to borrow money to pay salary every month . So there is no how somebody can say the government left empty treasury . So it is not true,” he said.