National Assembly threatens to stop JAMB allocation

The National Assembly Joint Committee on Finance has threatened to stop the Federal Government’s grant to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board in the 2025 budget proposal over excessive spending.

The position of the committee was reached after JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, presented the agency’s 2025 budget proposal to the Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives.

According to Oloyede, JAMB remitted N4 billion to the Consolidated Revenue Fund in 2024, while it 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, Chairman, House Committee on Finance, said: “You remitted N4 billion and got N6 billion from the Federal Government. 

• Alleged $1m, £34,537 theft: Court admits P-Square’s ex-manager to N50m bail
• Scientists working to extend human lifespan to 250 years – Medical expert
• Oyebanji lauds Ekiti procurement system, contractors’ capacity to deliver 
• Lagos to foster environmental sustainability through collaboration, innovation –Sanwo-Olu
• Police intensify hunts for man who stabbed wife to death in Ogun

“Why not keep the N4 billion and we stop the government from funding 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 said: “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 all this money?”

The former Edo State Governor also slammed JAMB for spending N600m on local travels even as he called on Oloyede to justify the N6.5bn on local trainings.

… Details later