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JAMB officials stormed out of a heated House of Representatives hearing after refusing to present sensitive documents in publicLawmakers condemned the walkout as an affront to parliamentary authority and vowed to ensure accountabilityCommittee ordered JAMB registrar Professor Ishaq Oloyede to appear in person or face an arrest warrant FCT, Abuja - Tension erupted at the National Assembly complex on Wednesday, October 29, as officials of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) stormed out of a hearing convened by the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education Examination Bodies. The session was called to scrutinise JAMB’s budget, review payments made to the Consolidated Revenue Fund, and assess its bank statements from 2023 to date. Committee queries JAMB over missing documents Obuku Oforji, chairman of the committee, revealed that JAMB had been written three separate letters on 6, 17 and 23 October, requesting key documents and the personal appearance of the registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede. However, Oloyede was represented by Mufutau Bello, a director in the registrar’s office. During the session, Bello asked journalists to vacate the room, arguing that the documents he intended to present contained sensitive information. The committee rejected the request, insisting that the hearing must remain open to the public. JAMB delegation storms out of session Displeased with the lawmakers’ refusal, Bello and his team walked out of the hearing room. In response, Oforji directed the sergeant-at-arms to arrest the officials, but they had already left the premises before the order could be executed. Oforji condemned the officials’ conduct, calling it “unacceptable” and “a direct affront to parliamentary authority.” “We wrote three consecutive letters to the registrar requesting these documents. Instead of appearing, he sent a director who accused us of trying to embarrass JAMB. That is very unfortunate. Our duty is to ensure every agency under our watch is accountable to Nigerians," Oforji said. Lawmakers fume over lack of accountability Speaking with journalists after the incident, committee member Awaji-Inombek Abiante warned that the House would not tolerate defiance from any government agency. “If JAMB can walk out on a National Assembly committee, it means they no longer see themselves as accountable to Nigerians,” Abiante said. “Oversight is not a favour; it’s a constitutional duty. We’ve heard stories where snakes swallowed money, maybe this time, a bigger creature has done the swallowing.” Another lawmaker, Rodney Amboiowei, added, “No agency has the authority to dictate how parliament conducts its business. Nigerians deserve to know how their money is spent.” Committee issues final summons to registrar The committee adjourned the hearing to next Tuesday and directed Professor Oloyede to appear in person. Oforji warned that failure to comply would lead to the issuance of an arrest warrant. “Failure to do so will compel the committee to invoke its powers under sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution,” he stated. Source: Legit.ng
