JAMB Officials Walkout on House of Reps Committee

A mild drama unfolded at the National Assembly on Wednesday when a delegation of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) staged a walkout during a meeting with the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Examination Bodies.

The incident began when the JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, who was absent, sent a Director, Mufutau Bello, to represent him. The misunderstanding arose when Bello insisted that journalists vacate the meeting room, claiming that the documents he was prepared to present contained sensitive information.

The Committee, however, refused this request, stressing that its proceedings were public and that it was constitutionally empowered to determine how its sittings were conducted.

Visibly agitated by the Committee’s refusal, the JAMB representative, Bello, ordered his team to leave, and then walked out of the session, leaving the lawmakers stunned.

Immediately, the Committee ordered the Sergeant-at-Arms to arrest the JAMB officials, but they had already left the premises.

The Committee has now given JAMB until Tuesday next week for the Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, to appear in person with his management team and present all requested documents.

The Committee warned that failure to comply could lead to the issuance of a warrant of arrest.