While appearing before the senate last week, Ms Adeosun said the government was looking into the finances of Waec as it was collecting a N6bn (£21.4m) subvention but generated N16bn (£57.1m) internally. She added that the body only declared a surplus of N500m, stressing that if it made that much money, it should report a greater profit.
In summing up, however, Ms Adeosun said the combination of N6bn and N16 added up to N26bn, making her the subject of jokes on social media. It was subsequently reported that Dr Uwadiae joked that Waec would allow the finance minister to retake her mathematics examinations, so she could get her figures right in future.
However, Waec has said the embarrassing story was not only untrue but was aimed at causing disaffection between the council and the government of Nigeria. Abiodun Aduloju, Waec's head of public affairs in Ghana, denied Dr Uwadiae made the remarks.
He said: “The publication is worrisome and embarrassing to Waec, as the registrar did not make the statement credited to him and could not have responded as purported to an allegation in which the name of his organisation was not mentioned. The registrar does not reside in Nigeria and has not granted a press interview or engaged in an informal chat with any Nigerian media representative or authorised anyone to speak on his behalf concerning the minister’s statement.
“Dr Uwadiae is an experienced public personality and a seasoned diplomat, who holds sacrosanct the entrenched culture of mutual understanding and respect that exists among all operatives and representatives of the governments of the five member countries of the council.”
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