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Claim: An X user claims the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) was postponed because Otumfuo Osei Tutu II was scheduled to attend Mamponghene’s funeral.
Verdict: False. According to John Kapi, head of Public Affairs at WAEC, BECE 2025 was postponed to accommodate the Eid al-Adha holidays.
Full Text
Each year, a different batch of final-year students sit for final-year exams, which decide their future in higher education. 2025 is no different; candidates from Junior High Schools must take the Basic Education Certificate Examination to progress to higher levels of education.
This year’s exams started on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, instead of Monday, June 9, 2025, with a little over 600,000 candidates sitting for the exams.
An X user, @N33sei, claims the commencement date of the 2025 BECE was postponed because of the revered traditional ruler of the Asantes, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
“BECE was postponed because of Opemsuo, you still think you are on par with him,” the post states, captioned with a picture of the Ashanti King.
As of June 17, 2025, the post had garnered 379,000 views, 5,600 likes, 328 retweets, and 159 comments.
DUBAWA decided to probe further to ascertain the veracity of the post.
Verification
The BECE is a national educational event; any decision to postpone it would require justification from the Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service (GES), or the West African Education Council (WAEC). Typically, widespread disruptions like natural disasters, national emergencies, or significant logistical issues affecting multiple regions justify postponing events like the BECE.
The funeral rites of the Mamponghene, Daasebre Osei Bonsu II, were held from June 7 to June 9, 2025, with significant traction from the media. These rites are localised traditional ceremonies rooted in the Asante customs and culture, and do not affect national operational frameworks like the BECE. The Mamponghene’s funeral, culturally significant in the Ashanti Region, did not cause any national disruption that warrants postponement of the BECE.
The Asantehene is a revered traditional ruler who has had influence in the Ashanti Kingdom, including the Mampong. The Manhyia Palace, the seat of the Asantehene, usually announces some measures ahead of major traditional ceremonies within its jurisdiction. For instance, people were ordered to stay indoors in Kumasi during the final funeral rites of the late Asantehemaa, Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II. DUBAWA’s checks reveal that the Manhyia Palace did not announce any measures to postpone the BECE commencement.
Further, commenting on the commencement of BECE 2025 on Accra-based Starr 103.5 FM, John Kapi, head of Public Affairs at WAEC, said the BECE 2025 commenced on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, instead of the usual Monday commencement, to accommodate the “Eid-ul-Adha” holiday. The national religious holiday was observed across Ghana.
Conclusion
The claim that BECE 2025 was postponed because of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, is false. Although the Otumfuo is influential, he does not have jurisdiction over national academic schedules.
