A dramatic scene unfolded at the National Assembly on Wednesday when officials of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) abruptly walked out of a hearing convened by the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Examination Bodies
The Committee, chaired by Bayelsa lawmaker Hon. Oboku Oforji, had invited JAMB to defend its 2023–2024 budget performance, provide details of internally generated revenue (IGR) remittances, and submit supporting documents such as bank statements and evidence of transfers to the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
According to the Committee, three separate letters—dated 6, 17, and 23 October 2025—were sent to the Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, requesting his personal appearance. However, instead of honouring the invitation, Prof. Oloyede sent a representative, Director Mufutau Bello, to speak on his behalf.
Tensions flared when Bello reportedly insisted that accredited journalists leave the session, citing that the documents contained “sensitive financial information.” The
lawmakers refused, stating that the hearing was a public proceeding and that it was within the Committee’s right—not JAMB’s—to decide the session’s conditions.The standoff escalated when Bello ordered his team to leave the venue, ignoring the lawmakers’ directives. The shocked Committee members immediately instructed the Sergeant-at-Arms to detain the JAMB officials, only to discover that they had already exited the premises.
Describing the incident as “unacceptable and disrespectful,” Hon. Oforji stressed that the Committee’s mission was to uphold transparency and accountability, not to victimise or embarrass any government agency.
The confrontation underscores a recurring tension between Nigeria’s legislature and executive agencies, many of which often undermine parliamentary summonses—a habit that weakens oversight and erodes the National Assembly’s constitutional authority.
Observers note that while some agency heads claim that repeated invitations hinder their operations, lawmakers insist that direct accountability is essential for public trust and institutional integrity.
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