There was mild drama at the National Assembly on Wednesday as officials of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) walked out during a session with the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Examination Bodies.
The lawmakers had requested JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, to appear before the committee and present certain documents. However, Oloyede was absent and sent a Director of the Board, Mufutau Bello, to represent him alongside other officials.
Tension began when Bello insisted that journalists should not be allowed into the room during his presentation, claiming that the documents contained sensitive information.
His request was immediately rejected by the committee members, who maintained that the proceedings were public and that the JAMB representative had no authority to determine how the session should be conducted.
The disagreement escalated, prompting Bello to angrily instruct his team to leave the meeting. The JAMB officials then walked out, leaving the lawmakers visibly shocked.
In response, the legislators ordered the Sergeant-at-Arms to arrest the officials, but they had already exited the premises.
The committee has now given JAMB until next Tuesday for the Registrar to appear in person and submit the requested documents, warning that failure to comply could result in the issuance of a warrant of arrest.
