Senator Oshiomhole Questions JAMB’s Spending as Lawmakers Scrutinize Government Funding

 

Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC/Edo North) raised concerns about the expenditures of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) during the agency’s 2025 budget defence before the National Assembly's Joint Committee on Finance on Monday.

Oshiomhole specifically questioned JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, about the N850 million spent on security, cleaning, and fumigation in 2024. He remarked, “You spent N1.1 billion on meals and refreshments. Are you being freely fed by the government? This means you are using money generated from struggling students, many of whom are orphans.” He also criticized the N850 million spent on security, cleaning, and fumigation, asking, “What exactly did you fumigate? Was it mosquitoes that consumed all that money?” Additionally, Oshiomhole expressed concerns over the N600 million spent on local travel.

In his defense, Prof. Oloyede revealed that JAMB had remitted N4 billion to the Consolidated Revenue Fund in 2024 while also receiving a grant of N6 billion from the Federal Government. This prompted Chairman of the House Committee on Finance, Abiodun Faleke, to ask why a self-sustaining agency like JAMB should still rely on federal allocations: “You remitted N4 billion and got N6 billion from the Federal Government. Why not retain the N4 billion and stop the government from funding JAMB?”

The lawmakers suggested that JAMB’s allocation may be reconsidered in future budgets unless the agency can provide compelling reasons for its continued dependence on government funding.