Tension erupted at the National Assembly Complex on Wednesday when officials of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) staged a walkout during a budget hearing before the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education Examination Bodies.
The meeting was convened to review JAMB’s 2023 budget performance, assess remittances to the consolidated revenue fund, and examine the agency’s financial statements up to 2025.
Lawmakers said the session was part of their oversight duty to ensure transparency and accountability among education agencies.
Committee chairman Obuku Oforji disclosed that JAMB had been notified in writing on three occasions—October 6, 17, and 23—requesting specific documents and the personal appearance of the registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede.
JAMB representative objects to open session
However, instead of Oloyede, Mufutau Bello, a director in the registrar’s office, appeared on behalf of the agency. Bello reportedly requested that journalists leave the room, insisting that the documents he intended to present contained sensitive information.
Lawmakers rejected the request, insisting that the hearing would remain open in line with parliamentary transparency rules.
In response, Bello and his team walked out of the session, leaving committee members visibly angered.
In reaction, Oforji ordered the sergeant-at-arms to arrest the JAMB officials, but they had already left the premises before enforcement could begin.
He described the walkout as “a show of disrespect and contempt for the legislature.”
Lawmakers threaten to summon registrar
Speaking after the incident, committee member Awaji-Inombek Abiante said the parliament would not condone what he described as an act of “institutional arrogance.”
According to him, JAMB’s conduct suggested the agency no longer viewed itself as accountable to Nigerians.
“If JAMB can walk out on a National Assembly committee, it means they think oversight is optional. It is not—it’s a constitutional duty,” he said.
“We’ve heard stories where snakes swallowed money; maybe this time a bigger creature has done the swallowing.”
Another member, Rodney Amboiowei, stressed that no agency had the right to dictate how the parliament conducts its business, adding that Nigerians deserve to know how public funds are managed.
Registrar may face arrest warrant
Following the disruption, the committee adjourned the hearing to next Tuesday and directed that the JAMB registrar must appear in personal.
Oforji warned that failure to comply would compel lawmakers to issue a warrant of arrest against Oloyede.
“Failure to do so will compel the committee to invoke its powers under sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 constitution,” he said.
The development adds to growing tensions between the legislature and federal agencies over transparency and the management of public funds.
