We conducted exams for 19 states on credit, says NECO

The National Examination Council(NECO) has stated it conducted examinations for candidates in 19 states on credit.

The examination body revealed this when its officials appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Finance in Abuja on Wednesday.

The body’s Director of Finance and Administration, Dr Jacob Ekele, said Zamfara State topped the list of debtors with over N1 billion.

He said: “As of today about 19 states owe NECO. The exams were conducted for them on credit, especially Zamfara State. It has the highest (debt). Kogi is not paying for its candidates, the candidates are paying for themselves. But some of these states, the governments pay for them, unlike Kogi that doesn’t pay N1 for anybody.”

The chairman of the committee, Mr James Faleke, said the probe into NECO’s finances would be extended from 2014 to 2011.

The panel asked NECO to provide all relevant documents to show its income, expenditure and remittances from 2011 to 2019.

Faleke said the report of the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation suggested the council should remit N6 billion to the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federal Government.