The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has elected Prof. Thomas Brima Rick Yormah as the 21st Chairman of Council during the 72nd Annual Council Meeting.
The Head of Public Affairs at the WAEC Headquarters in Accra, Ghana,Demianus Ojijeogu, announced the election in a signed statement. Prof. Yormah, who succeeded Prof. Ato Essuman from the Republic of Ghana, was elected at a week-long WAEC Council meeting held in the Republic of Sierra Leone.
In his keynote address, His Excellency, Retired Brigadier (Dr.) Julius Maada Bio (GCRSL), represented by the Vice President, Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, declared the gathering opened and congratulated WAEC on its 72nd anniversary.
He noted that the Council had played a prominent role in the educational development of the sub-region over the past seventy-two years and had indeed served as a catalyst for the educational reforms that have evolved in the member countries.
The Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Sierra Leone, Hon. Conrad Sackey, noted that since its inception in 1952, the Council has played its role creditably by assisting in the development of sound education and ensuring the maintenance of educational standards.
This, he said, has given the people of the sub-region a vision of the great potentials that lie beyond examinations.
He congratulated WAEC for having remained relevant for over seven decades and still counting and urged all stakeholders to rally the Council and stamp out examination malpractice in public examinations in the member countries.
On the same occasion, the WAEC International Excellence Award was conferred on three Ghanaian candidates for their outstanding performance in the WASSCE for School Candidates, 2023.
They were Master Amo-Kodieh Leonard Kofi (1st Prize), Master Dzandu Selorm (2nd Prize), and Master Asenso-Gyambibi Daniel (3rd Prize).
The Augustus Bandele Oyediran Award for the Best Candidate in West Africa, 2023 also went to Master Amo-Kodieh Leonard Kofi. In addition, two candidates from the Republic of Sierra Leone were honoured with the National Distinction, while one candidate received the National Merit Award. They were Miss. Mammah E. A. Raymonda (1st Prize), Master Bangura Joshua (2nd Prize), and Master Fillie Sahr Edward (Merit Award).
The prestigious award of Distinguished Friend of Council was conferred on Prof. Jonas A. S. Redwood-Sawyerr for his outstanding contributions towards the achievement of the Council’s objectives.
Prof. Yatta Kanu was also elected as the Vice Chairman of the Council for a one-year tenure. She succeeds Dr. Ebrima Sisawo of the Republic of The Gambia.
The Council, which is WAEC’s governing board, holds its meeting yearly in rotation among the five member countries, namely: The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.
The 71st Meeting was hosted in Banjul, in 2023 by the Government of the Republic of The Gambia, and by the invitation of Liberia’s delegation, the 73rd edition will be hosted by the Government of Liberia in March 2025.
