Civil society organisations have expressed worries about what they described as legislative interference by National Assembly members in the affairs of examination bodies. 
 
This followed alleged intimidation and financial extortion by House Committees targeting examination bodies in Nigeria. 
 
The groups spoke at a joint press briefing in Abuja. Speaking on behalf of the groups, the Convener, Social Transparency and Youth Leadership Advancement Initiative, Okpanachi Jacob, condemned what he described as a growing trend of undue pressure on examination bodies under the guise of legislative oversight. 
 
He said such actions, if left unchecked, could undermine the integrity, independence and effectiveness of institutions responsible for conducting national examinations.
 
While admitting that the National Assembly has the constitutional mandate to carry out oversight functions, Jacob said this responsibility must be exercised with transparency, restraint and respect for due process. 

According to him, repeated summons, threats of sanctions and alleged demands for financial inducements from examination bodies amount to abuse of power and could compromise the credibility of the education system. 
 
He warned that these practices create an atmosphere of fear and distraction for agencies already grappling with operational challenges.
 
The civil society groups further expressed concern that persistent interference could erode public confidence in examination bodies such as the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), National Examinations Council (NECO), Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB), whose roles are critical to the future of Nigerian students.