By Shola Abayomi.
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has warned owners of certificates to guard them well, as the council will not re-issue on account of misplacement, fire, flood or theft.
WAEC’s Head of National Office, Mr. Olu Adenipekun, disclosed that the council has been inundated with lots of requests from people asking for a re-issue of the lost certificates.
He said: “Let me make it clear that in the real sense of it, our certificates are issued only once, irrespective of who is involved or the circumstance that led to the misplacement, and that remains the truth of the matter.
“We do not issue our West African Senior School Certificates Examination (WASSCE) twice.
“But, if we have such cases of theft, fire, flood and others, as it concerns these certificates, yes, in reaction to our operational environment, we can consider the issuance of an attestation certificate.
“About five years ago, the council, that is, the highest governing body met and took a decision on this, stressing that there is no test body that issues two of its certificates to a single candidate in one examination.
“But, if a candidate should experience such losses through fire, flood or theft and can provide all the necessary proofs required to that effect, that will show such things actually happened to his or her certificate, there are certain steps such candidates are expected to take before approaching the council for further action.
“It is this certificate that we give out, and not re-issuance of another certificate. This is what we have been doing for the past five years now.
“We have many Nigerians who have benefitted from this, because it is like a replacement of the real certificate. These people who have benefitted from this come from all the stratum of the society,” Adenipekun said.
He also warned against laminating certificates, as it could be destroyed in the process.
“It has been discovered that quite a large number of people rush off to business centres immediately after collecting their WASSCE certificates, and in an attempt to get them laminated, they are destroyed in the process.”
Mr Adenipekun further explained that the council in Nigeria, four years ago, introduced non-sticky certificate covers which are unique and protected even when submerged in water.
This he said, was an effort to reduce the numerous incidents of certificates loss and protection, adding that these were parts of the innovations the council introduced over the years in an attempt to serve the public well.