•Upholds dismissal of WAEC staff for aiding examination fraud
From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
The Senate has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to provide N200 million as compensation to the family of a toddler killed and another critically injured in the eye during a raid by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Delta State.
This resolution followed the adoption of recommendations of a report by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions during plenary yesterday.
The incident occurred on July 13, 2023, when NDLEA operatives stormed a notorious drug joint known as Abacha Junction in Okpanam area of Asaba, Oshimili North Local Government. In the course of the operation, a stray bullet from an NDLEA officer struck and killed two-year-old Onosereba Omhonria, and severely wounded his younger brother, Eromonsele, in the eye.
According to findings presented to the Senate by the chairman of the Committee, Neda Imasuen, Eromonsele remains in critical condition, with uncertainty surrounding the restoration of vision in his injured eye.
The Committee noted that although the NDLEA has shown support to the family, including offering N25 million compensation and continued engagement with the father, Fidelis Omhonria, it lacked the financial capacity to sponsor treatment abroad for the injured child. The agency, however, pledged to continue supporting local medical treatment.
But despite its efforts, the Senate found the matter grave enough to warrant a more substantial gesture to the family. “Given the seriousness of the trauma suffered by the Omhonria family, the Senate urges the president to assist the NDLEA with N200 million for compensation on compassionate grounds,” the Senate stated.
The Red Chamber also directed NDLEA to continue footing the medical bills of Eromonsele and ensure he receives care at a reputable hospital abroad and observed a minute silence in his honour.
A recommendation asking the Attorney General of the Federation to prosecute the officer whose shot hit the children was rejected after the Senate was informed that he is currently undergoing trial.
Former Edo State governor and senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, in his contribution, decried the incident, saying no “amount of money can compensate for death.”
He called for stringent measures to be imposed on the perpetrator of the Act, saying, “Other than the president, vice president, governors and deputy governors, no other person has immunity from prosecution, “….the officer should know that uniform is not a license for you to kill an innocent child and go home to sleep with yours.”
In his remarks, Senate President ,Godswill Akpabio described the incident as pathetic:“Our hearts go out to the family of the deceased child and the child whose eye was injured,” he said while charging his colleagues to render assistance in our own private capacity. “
The Committee on Legislative Compliance was mandated to follow up on the directives of the Senate to ensure they are implemented and report back within 6 weeks.
Meanwhile, the Senate has upheld the dismissal of a West African Examinations Council (WAEC) staff, Sandra Nimi Harry, from the agency over her involvement in an examination malpractice scandal.
Harry, who had served the Council for 31 years since her employment on July 15, 1992, was dismissed on July 19, 2023, following an internal investigation into the smuggling of answer scripts for absent candidates during the WAEC private candidates’ examination in Port Harcourt.
The Senate, while adopting an amended recommendation in the report of the Ethics, Privileges and Code of Conduct Committee on the matter, noted that as the head of the Scripts Room at the time, Ms. Harry was accused of enabling Mr. Raymond Obi, another WAEC staff, to swap genuine candidates’ scripts with those of unregistered ones. Obi, in his confession, alleged that Harry showed him where to retrieve the envelopes used in the fraudulent exchange, purportedly at the request o another staff, Mr. Joseph Pepple, who knew the affected candidates.
Sequel to the discovery of the fraud, WAEC set up three different committees – the Panel of Enquiry, the Investigative and Disciplinary Committee, and the Nigeria Administrative and Finance Committee – which all found Harry and two other staff culpable and recommended their dismissal.
The report noted that the Governing Council of WAEC ratified the dismissal, citing gross misconduct and fraudulent practices capable of bringing the Council into disrepute.
Although the Committee acknowledged that Ms. Harry had never faced disciplinary action throughout her career until this incident, and had put in over three decades of service, it concluded that her actions violated WAEC’s code of conduct and warrants requisite penalty of dismissal.
The committee’s recommended a gesture of clemency: “That the Senate urge WAEC to consider commuting the dismissal of Ms. Sandra Nimi Harry to retirement in recognition of her 31 years of unblemished service before the infraction,” which was rejected by the senators who argued that her actions have far reaching implications and undermines the efforts of hardworking students who worked hard to pass their exams.
Speaking in objection, Garba Maidoki said, “Without prejudice to what the committee has said, It is my candid opinion that this woman has done so much injustice to all of us, the children of Nigeria ,to the qualifications and certification of WAEC, that she deserves no mercy and no reprieve and that she should even be prosecuted.”
He was supported by Adams Oshiomhole who noted that she “committed an atrocity” that should not be forgiven that’s hold be recommended for prosecution in a “sane society.”
In his closing remarks, Akpabio stated, “Let me say that it would amount to insanity on the part of this senate to overlook this kind of grievous offence…this means that anyone who has put in more than 30 years and is preparing to retire can begin to commit fraud and tamper with examination scripts for monetary gains.”
