BREAKING-Govt pays N200m to NECO for release of 30,000 results

The Niger government says it has paid N200 million to

the National Examination Council (NECO), to ensure the release of results of 30,000 students being withheld by the examination body.

A statement by Mrs. Mary Berje, Chief Press Secretary to Gov Abubakar Bello, said on Tuesday in Minna that the money was part of the examination fees the north-central state was owing the examination body.

It said that government had paid more than N1 billion to various examination bodies in the last three years, as part of efforts to provide free education to students in the state.

The statement added that the state government had agreed to pay the examination body N50 million monthly, to defray the outstanding balance that had accrued over the years.

“The state government has met with the officials of NECO; we have agreed in principle, after making some payments last week, that they will release the results this week,” it said.

The statement expressed government’s commitment and effort towards revamping the education sector, adding that the sector was a top priority of the Bello-led administration.