The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has dismissed reports that the National Assembly questioned it over an alleged ₦9 billion expenditure on meals, refreshments, and security
In a statement issued by its spokesperson, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, JAMB clarified that it appeared before the Joint Committee of both the Senate and House of Representatives on Finance on January 13, 2025, to present and defend its 2025 budget proposal, as required by law.
Dr. Benjamin emphasized that the presentation focused exclusively on the 2025 budget proposal and not the 2024 expenditure. He stated that claims about excessive spending in 2024, including ₦1.1 billion on meals or ₦850 million on fumigation, were unfounded.
“There was no presentation of 2024 expenditure related to feeding or fumigation during the budget defense,” Dr. Benjamin said.
The statement further explained that one of the items in the 2025 budget proposal was the provision of one meal per day for JAMB’s 2,300 staff members across the country, including cleaners and security personnel. This provision is projected to cost ₦1.1 billion, based on the increase in meal prices from ₦1,200 to ₦2,200 per staff member per day.
Dr. Benjamin justified the meal provision as a measure to reduce staff exposure to the public during work hours and prevent risks to ICT infrastructure. He added that the initiative had been approved and would be extended to all staff nationwide.
Regarding the ₦850 million allocated for outsourced cleaners, security personnel, and fumigation services, Dr. Benjamin clarified that JAMB had engaged firms to provide 386 security personnel and 194 cleaners across its offices and PTC centers. He emphasized that only ₦2 million of the ₦850 million would be allocated for fumigation services.
He also noted that the budget included a recent salary review, with security personnel now earning a minimum of ₦70,000 and cleaners’ salaries set to double from the current N30,000 minimum wage.
Dr. Benjamin stressed that the figures presented were part of the budget proposal for 2025 and not expenses already incurred, reiterating that JAMB’s operational costs are funded through its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), with the government only covering pensions for pensionable staff.
Addressing the ₦6.4 billion allocated for “Local Travel and Transport (Training)” for over 10,500 staff members involved in the 2025 UTME mock examination, Dr. Benjamin explained that the figure was required by the Government-Owned Enterprises (GOEs) budgeting template and was categorized under this heading due to compliance with the Budget Information Management Monitoring System (BIMMS).
“The amount was lumped under this category, but further details were provided on the succeeding page of the submission, which the Board was not allowed to explain,” he concluded.
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They are all corrupt
GOSH