The lawmaker representing Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency of Abia State in the House of Representatives, Hon. Amobi Godwin Ogah, has called for the resignation of the heads of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), citing gross failures and loss of public confidence in Nigeria’s examination systems.
Hon. Ogah, who is also a member of the House Committee on Basic Education and Examination Bodies, made the statement during a committee session at the National Assembly, where the WAEC Head, Dr. Amos Dangut, and JAMB Registrar, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, were grilled over alleged systemic lapses and controversies surrounding recent examination conduct.
“I said I must be here to speak for Nigerians. I must be here to defend our people,” Hon. Ogah declared during the heated session. “Sir, what has happened with your agency and also with JAMB, which we also oversee, deserves that the two of you resign.”
He described the examination scandals and irregularities as an embarrassment to the nation, questioning whether the actions of the agencies amounted to deliberate sabotage.
“You have exposed Nigeria to the level that people are laughing at us. At a point, I asked myself—is this sabotage against the government? I am not part of the APC government, but is this a sabotage? Or is it ethnic?” Ogah questioned.
The lawmaker lamented that the Southeast, where he hails from, has been disproportionately affected by the fallout of the examination controversies. “I come from the Southeast. A greater percentage of all these irregularities are happening there. What have we done to deserve this?” he asked.
He went further to criticize the WAEC and JAMB leaderships for what he termed a failure in accountability and integrity, saying, “If we were in a developed society, both of you should have resigned.”
The committee session comes amid growing public outrage over issues surrounding examination malpractice, mismanagement, and the integrity of Nigeria’s educational assessment processes.
Both Dr. Dangut and Professor Oloyede were reportedly questioned extensively by lawmakers, who expressed deep concerns about the credibility of the examinations under their watch and the impact on millions of Nigerian students.
As of press time, no official statement has been issued by either WAEC or JAMB in response to the calls for resignation.
