House of Representatives Initiates Probe into JAMB Remittances

• The House of Representatives forms a committee to probe discrepancies in remittances by JAMB to the Federal Government’s accounts
• JAMB expresses dissatisfaction with automated fund deductions, impacting its revenue for capital projects, as scrutiny on remittances intensifies

The House of Representatives has established a committee to investigate discrepancies in the remittances made by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to the Federal Government.

This decision stems from the unexplained disparities found in the records of the examination body and the accounts of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation.

During a session with the House Committee on Basic Education and Examination Bodies in Abuja, JAMB Registrar, Prof Ishaq Oloyede, revealed that the examination body began remitting revenue to the Consolidated Revenue Fund less than a year after he assumed office.

Prof Oloyede informed the committee that JAMB remitted N7.8bn in 2017, followed by N5.2bn, N3.68bn, N3.82bn, N3.5bn, and N3.1bn in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively.

However, a discrepancy of N11m was noted in the submission of Mrs. Lucy Anom, representing the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation. In response, Committee Chairman Afoji Obuku called for a sub-committee to investigate the alleged differences and report back to the Committee on Basic Education.

Meanwhile, JAMB has expressed discontent with the Federal Government’s automated deduction of funds from the registration fees paid by Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidates. Prof Oloyede argued that this practice is significantly reducing the board’s revenue contribution to the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

“We tell the government not to pay us salaries. We generate our own funds, but these auto deductions are affecting our revenue for capital projects,” he stated.

Committee member Oyedeji Oyeshina (PDP, Oyo) observed that JAMB’s revenue generation and remittances to the Consolidated Revenue Fund have decreased since 2019. In response, Prof Oloyede explained that the reduction in examination fees for UTME candidates in 2019 from N5,000 to N3,500 contributed to the decline. He further clarified that the automated deduction of internal revenue remittances began after the fee reduction was approved and implemented.

The committee, committed to effective oversight, requested JAMB’s annual audited accounts, procurement plans, schedule of Internally Generated Revenue, and evidence of remittances. Additionally, the committee tasked JAMB with providing a comprehensive list of its staff strength to assess compliance with the Federal Character Principle.