The National Assembly Joint Committee on Finance has issued a warning to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), threatening to remove the agency’s federal government grant in the 2025 budget proposal. The committee expressed dissatisfaction with JAMB’s financial practices during a budget defense session on Monday.
JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, appeared before the Senate and House of Representatives Joint Committee to present the agency’s 2025 budget proposal. In his presentation, Oloyede revealed that JAMB remitted ₦4 billion to the Consolidated Revenue Fund in 2024, while it received a ₦6 billion grant from the federal government.
This revelation sparked criticism from committee members, including Chairman of the House Committee on Finance, Abiodun Faleke, and Senator Adams Oshiomhole. Both questioned why a self-sustaining agency like JAMB should still depend on government funding.
Faleke pointedly asked, “You remitted ₦4 billion and got ₦6 billion from the federal government. Why not keep the ₦4 billion and we stop the government from funding JAMB?”
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Questions Over High Spending
The committee also scrutinized JAMB’s expenditure, particularly on meals, security, and training. Senator Oshiomhole criticized the agency for spending ₦1.1 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 whom are orphans,” Oshiomhole said.
He further questioned the agency’s spending of ₦850 million on security, cleaning, and fumigation. “What did you fumigate? Is it mosquitoes that took all this money?” he asked.
Concerns were also raised about JAMB’s spending on local travel and training. Oshiomhole queried the agency’s allocation of ₦600 million for local travel and ₦6.5 billion for local training, demanding justification for such amounts.
Future of Federal Grants
The committee hinted that JAMB might lose its federal government grant if it continues to demonstrate questionable financial practices. The lawmakers emphasized the need for agencies like JAMB to manage their internally generated revenue responsibly without relying on government allocations.
The session concluded with the committee urging Professor Oloyede to provide detailed justifications for JAMB’s expenditures in its next appearance. The warning from the National Assembly highlights growing concerns over the financial accountability of government agencies.