JAMB denies defending 2024 budget before NASS committees, says projected 2025 staff meals cost N1.27million
By Uji A Iliyasu
Abuja
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) said their appearance before the Joint Committee of both the Senate and the House of Representatives on Finance on 23 January was to defend its 2025 budget proposal but not 2024.
“It is crucial to note that what JAMB on the prompting of the Committee presented was not the 2024 expenditure but solely the 2025 budget proposal, which meant that claims regarding humongous spending in 2024 on meals or fumigation, security and cleaning are totally unfounded,” JAMB’S Director of Public Communication Fabian Be jamin said in a release Tuesday.
He said during that session there was no presentation of any 2024 expenditure of N1.1 billion for feeding or N850 million for fumigation.
“Among the items included in the 2025 budget proposal is the provision of one meal per day for the 2,300 staff members (cleaners/security inclusive) of the Board nationwide, covering all working days throughout the year.
“Over the past two years, the cost of providing this meal for headquarters staff (on the 2 offices in the Board) was N1, 200 per day, per staff. However, due to rising food prices, vendors have requested an increase to N2, 200 (including 13.5% taxes).
“Based on this new price, the total cost for providing meals for 2,300 staff members throughout the working days in 2025 is projected to be N1.27 billion. Nevertheless, JAMB has budgeted N1.1 billion for this purpose.
“The initiative to provide meals is a recognition of the sensitive responsibilities of JAMB staff. To minimize their exposure to the public during working hours and avoid the danger that eating in the offices posed to ICT infrastructure, the management sought and obtained approval to start providing lunch at the Headquarters, with plans to extend this initiative to all the offices nationwide, in response to consistent requests from outstation employees; we plan to commence the initiative to all the 2,300 workers of the Board,Benjamin said.
He said another significant provision in the budget proposal is the N850 million earmarked for the emolument of outsourced cleaners, security personnel, cleaning materials, fumigation services and tax.
“In compliance with government policy on outsourcing, JAMB has engaged firms and agencies that provide 386 security personnel and 194 cleaners across its over 40 offices and PTC centres nationwide.
“The N850 million proposed in the budget proposal covers running and operational costs, with only N2 million specifically earmarked for fumigation services for the year. (It was less than N1million in 2024) This budget reflects the recent salary review mandated by the government, and it is misleading to suggest that a meaningful portion of the budget is solely dedicated to fumigation.
Recall that the National Assembly’s Joint Committees on Finance had questioned the huge amount of money JAMB had spent on refreshments and threatened to cut off the Federal Government’s grant to the Board in the 2025 budget proposal over excessive spending.
This decision was made after JAMB registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, presented the Board’s 2025 budget proposal to the Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Monday
Oloyede said JAMB remitted N4bn to the Consolidated Revenue Fund in 2024 but received a grant of N6 billion from the Federal Government.
This sparked criticism from committee members, including Abiodun Faleke and Senator Adams Oshiomhole, who questioned why a self-funding agency like JAMB should receive government allocations.
Faleke asked, “Why not keep the N4 billion and stop government funding for JAMB?” Oshiomhole also slammed JAMB for its expenses, including N1.1 billion on meals and refreshments, N850 million on security and cleaning.
Faleke asked, “Why not keep the N4 billion and stop government funding for JAMB?” Oshiomhole also slammed JAMB for its expenses, including N1.1 billion on meals and refreshments, N850 million on security and cleaning, and N600 million on local travels. He demanded justification for the N6.5 billion spent on local trainings, asking, “What did you fumigate? Is it mosquitoes that took all this money?”¹
“You remitted N4bn and got N6bn from the Federal Government. Why not keep the N4bn and we stop. the government from funding JAMB,” the Chairman, House Committee on Finance, Faleke asked.
“You spent N1.1bn on meals and refreshment. 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.
“You also spent N850m on security, cleaning and fumigation in 2024.What did you fumigate? Is it mosquitoes that took al this money? ” Oshiomhole asked
The former Edo State Governor also slammed JAMB for spending N600m on local travels even as he called on Oloyede to justify the N6.5m on local trainings.