Kehinde Fajobi
The Senate and House of Representatives have decided to exclude the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) from receiving federal funding in the 2025 budget, citing issues with the board’s financial practices.
During a session on Monday, lawmakers criticised the board for remitting ₦4 billion to the federation account while receiving ₦6 billion from the government in 2024.
Abiodun Faleke, Chairman of the House Committee on Finance, questioned the logic of funding a self-sustaining agency.
“You remitted ₦4 billion and received ₦6 billion from the Federal Government. Why not keep the ₦4 billion and stop the government from funding JAMB?” he asked.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole raised further concerns over JAMB’s 2024 expenditures, including ₦1.1 billion on meals and refreshments, ₦850 million on security and cleaning, and ₦600 million on local travels.
“Are you being freely fed by the government? This money comes from poor students, many of whom are orphans,” Oshiomhole said.
He also demanded a breakdown of the ₦6.5 billion allocated for local training and ₦1 billion for a staff housing scheme.
The decision was made during an interactive session on revenue projections for 2025, chaired by Senator Sani Musa (APC, Niger East).
Musa expressed frustration over the low remittances from ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) in 2024, describing the gap between revenues generated and amounts remitted as a threat to funding critical infrastructure and social services.
“This discrepancy hampers the government’s ability to deliver on its commitments, raising concerns about inefficiency, mismanagement, and possible revenue leakages,” Musa said.