A mild drama, on Wednesday, played out at the National Assembly when some officials of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) walked out on the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education Examination Bodies during an investigative hearing.
The committee, chaired by Hon. Oforji Oboku, had invited the examination body to appear before it to explain details of its 2023 and 2024 budget performance, Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), and remittances to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF).
The JAMB delegation, led by Mufutau Alabi Bello, a director from the Registrar’s Office, had barely settled into the meeting when trouble started.
Moments after the lawmakers introduced themselves, the JAMB officials refused to identify themselves, insisting that the meeting be held behind closed doors and that journalists be excused.
But the request didn’t sit well with the lawmakers, who refused it, citing the need for transparency in public accountability.
The JAMB team, however, abruptly stood up and walked out.
As they walked out, they accused the lawmakers of planning to embarrass them, prompting an immediate reaction from visibly angry members of the committee.
Angered by the action, the lawmakers immediately directed the Clerk to summon the Sergeant-at-Arms to arrest the JAMB representative, but he had already left the premises.
Reacting to the incident, Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Oboku Oforji, described the walkout as unfortunate and unacceptable, stressing that the legislature would not tolerate acts of disrespect or attempts to obstruct its oversight duties.
“We wrote three consecutive letters to the Registrar of JAMB requesting these documents. To our surprise, the Registrar failed to appear, and instead sent a former Director of Finance and Accounts, who claimed the committee was out to embarrass them. That is very unfortunate,” Oforji said.
He added that the committee’s intention was not to witch-hunt any government agency but to ensure transparency and accountability in the management of public funds.