The National Assembly Joint Committee on Finance has raised concerns over the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board’s (JAMB) spending habits, warning of a possible reduction in federal funding for the board in the 2025 budget.
The committee’s dissatisfaction came after JAMB’s Registrar, Ishaq Oloyede, presented the board’s 2025 budget proposal on Monday. According to Mr. Oloyede, JAMB remitted N4 billion to the Consolidated Revenue Fund in 2024, while receiving a N6 billion grant from the federal government the previous year.
This financial disclosure drew sharp criticism from lawmakers, who questioned why the board spent so much despite substantial government support.
Chairman of the committee, Abiodun Faleke, questioned the imbalance in the remittance figures. “You remitted N4 billion and got N6 billion from the federal government. Why not keep the N4 billion, and we stop the government from funding JAMB?” he asked.
Further scrutiny came from Adams Oshiomole, who was particularly concerned about excessive spending on non-essential items like meals and fumigation.
“You spent N1.1 billion on meals and refreshments. Are you being freely fed by the government? What this means is that you are spending the money you generate from poor students, many of them orphans,” Mr. Oshiomole pointed out.
He didn’t stop there. Highlighting another significant expense, he asked, “You also spent N850 million on security, cleaning, and fumigation in 2024. What did you fumigate? Is it mosquitoes that took all this money?”
The committee expressed dissatisfaction with the board’s spending practices and hinted at a potential cut in government funding if such trends continue.
This exchange has sparked widespread public interest, with many questioning the prioritization of JAMB’s expenditures, especially in a country where education funding remains a contentious issue.
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