The National Examinations Council, NECO, has revealed that they are still being owed over N2 billion by some state governments.

The Registrar and Chief Executive of NECO, Professor Dantani Wushishi, while addressing a press briefing in Minna, Niger State, said the states were indebted to the Council from 2012 to date.

According to Wushishi: “When you talk about the issue of debts, we have done a lot, we have recovered some, some states are still indebted to the Council to the tune of over N2 billion. This is for over so many years, from 2012 till date. We are making efforts and some states are responding.

“And through our efforts to make sure we solve our problems, we have a commitment with the Accountant General of the Federation, and the states we have MoU with, we can take the MoU to the Accountant General office to deduct from source, but we are very tactical about it, because we also have to sensitize the state governments on the need to keep this place afloat, and it is the payment of what they have subscribed for in the Council that will keep this place afloat.

“So we are tactically doing that, and we are getting the result and we have not yet taken any state to the Accountant General office.”

Wushishi, while commending President Muhammadu Buhari, the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu and the governing board of NECO for their great support to the Council, said the exam body was wholly dependent on money gotten from candidates’ registrations for its various capital projects and other activities that relate to conduct of exams.

Speaking further, Wushishi said some of the policies and innovative reforms he initiated in NECO have brought about a positive turnaround of the Council and more efficient conduct of all its examinations within Nigeria and some other neighbouring African countries, including Niger Republic, Gabon, among others.