There was mild drama at the National Assembly on Wednesday when representatives of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) stormed out of an investigative hearing organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education Examination Bodies.
The committee, chaired by Hon Oforji Oboku, had invited the examination body to account for 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 just settled in when the session took an unexpected turn.
Trouble began after the lawmakers introduced themselves, and the JAMB officials refused to do the same. Instead, they requested that the meeting be held behind closed doors, insisting that journalists should leave the room.
The request was immediately rejected by the lawmakers, who argued that transparency in public proceedings is non-negotiable.
Moments later, the JAMB officials abruptly stood up and walked out, accusing the lawmakers of plotting to embarrass them, an accusation that infuriated members of the committee.
In response, the visibly angered lawmakers directed the Clerk to summon the Sergeant-at-Arms to arrest the JAMB representative, however, the officials had already left the National Assembly complex.
Reacting to the incident, Oforji, condemned the walkout, describing it as "unfortunate and unacceptable."
"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," he said.
He clarified that the committee’s objective was not to witch-hunt JAMB but to ensure accountability in the management of public funds.
"Our responsibility is to make sure that all agencies under our watch are accountable to Nigerians. We have no intention whatsoever to witch-hunt anyone," he added.
The committee has now given JAMB until next Tuesday for the Registrar to appear in person with his management team and the requested documents.
"Failure to do so will compel the committee to take necessary actions in line with the powers vested in us under Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended," Oforji warned.
Other lawmakers like Hon Awaji-Inombek Dagomie Abiante described the walkout as "an affront to parliamentary authority."
"If JAMB can walk out on a committee of the National Assembly, it means they no longer see themselves as accountable to Nigerians. Oversight is a constitutional duty. When an agency refuses to answer questions about public funds, Nigerians have every reason to suspect something is wrong," Abiante said.
He also mocked the situation, recalling past controversies involving missing funds in government agencies.
"We have heard of instances where snake swallowed money. So, probably a bigger swallow may have happened, and they have not prepared themselves for the autopsy," he quipped.
Similarly, Hon Rodney Amboiowei faulted JAMB’s demand for a private session, saying it contradicted the principles of openness expected from public institutions.
"Public funds must be accounted for in the open. It is not JAMB’s right to dictate that a parliamentary session be held behind closed doors. Nigerians deserve to know how their money is spent," he said.
Hon Marie Enenimiete Ebikake also questioned the identity of the JAMB official who led the delegation, stressing that it was inappropriate for the Registrar to be absent.
"It’s even more embarrassing that the man who walked out was not the Registrar. We don’t even know who he is. We simply asked them to introduce themselves, and they refused. For all we know, he could have been impersonated," she said.
Ebikake reiterated that as a revenue-generating agency, JAMB must be held accountable to the public.
"Nigerians want to know what JAMB is doing with their money. The Registrar must appear before this committee by Tuesday to explain," she added.
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