Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara has approved the immediate release of N100 million to the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to offset past debts and settle the 2021 examinations fees for indigenes of the state.
A statement signed by Jamilu Iliyasu, Press Secretary to the governor and made available to newsmen in Gusau, on Saturday, said the payment was in fulfilment of the regular payment of N100 million to the council by the state government, to also offset a backlog of debts left by the immediate past administration.
Part of the amount will go to the payment of the 2021 WAEC examination for the state’s candidates, the statement said.
It lamented that the non-remittance of the payment of the examination fees by the past administration had denied many candidates, especially children of the poor, from accessing their results and furthering their education.
Matawalle, who thanked both the Federal Ministry of Education and WAEC for their understanding and agreeing to stagger the debt repayment, promised to release the funds as agreed until the debts were fully repaid.
The governor further pledged to continue to accord top priority to education for the future growth and development of the state.