The Malawi National Examination Board (MANEB) has distanced itself from the so-called National Independent Academic Examinations Council (NIAEC) which claims that it will start issuing Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education (PSLCE) and administering Junior Certificate of Education (JCE) examinations.

MANEB has also threatened to sue NIAEC for using its logo and name in most of its activities, saying the act is illegal.

“NIAEC continues to display MANEB logo on its sample certificate despite the logo being copyrighted; cite MANEB Act as shown in the Laws of Malawi Cap 30:04 and its subsequent schedules despite the Act being MANEB specific; adopt coding system of subjects and claim it is working with MANEB in its activities when in actual fact MANEB does not recognise the existence of NIAEC.

“The public is aware that MANEB has not been issuing PSLCE certificates since 2015 but instead issues academic transcripts on request. The public is also aware that MANEB will no longer be administering JCE examination starting 2017. Both changes are MANEB reforms which have been implemented under the Public Service Reforms Programme. It would, therefore, be paradoxical for MANEB to partner with any organisation on activities that have been phased out,” reads in part the statement signed by MANEB acting director Jack Chalimba.

He added: “MANEB is not ready to work with an organisation that has not proved to the Malawi Government that it has a workforce with requisite assessment competence to professionally and objectively assess learners. It will, therefore, be highly risky to entrust learners with a body that has not proved to be worth its salt.”

Chalimba has since given NIAEC 14 days to stop using its logo or its name as well as put to end its claims that it will administer national examinations despite being rebuffed by both the Ministry of Education and Maneb.

“MANEB is demanding NIAEC to urgently remove any logo, words or wording that seem to link MANEB to dealings of NIAEC from any of their publications or utterances. Should this demand not be honoured within 14 days from this date of media release, MANEB will have no option other than seeking legal redress on this matter,” he said.

Chalimba has advised the general public to tread carefully as they deal with NIAEC especially now that they are demanding money from students in the name of registration for examinations.