There was mild drama at the National Assembly on Wednesday when some officials of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) staged a walkout during a session with the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Examination Bodies.
The committee had invited JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, to present specific documents for review. However, Oloyede was absent and sent a representative, Mufutau Bello, a director at the Board, who appeared alongside other JAMB officials.
Trouble began when Bello insisted that journalists should not be allowed into the meeting room, claiming that the documents he intended to present contained sensitive information.
His request was immediately rejected by the lawmakers, who maintained that the session was a public hearing and that JAMB could not dictate the terms of their proceedings.
The disagreement quickly escalated, prompting Bello to angrily instruct his team to leave the meeting. The officials then walked out of the session, leaving the lawmakers visibly stunned.
In response, the committee directed the Sergeant-at-Arms to arrest the departing JAMB officials — but they had already exited the National Assembly complex.
The lawmakers have now issued an ultimatum to JAMB to appear before the committee next Tuesday, with the Registrar expected to be physically present and present all requested documents.
The committee warned that failure to comply with the directive could result in a warrant of arrest being issued against the JAMB leadership.