By John Audu.
In a heated session at the National Assembly, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC/Edo North) lambasted the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for its extravagant spending, questioning the rationale behind budgeting N1.1 billion for meals and N850 million for mosquito control in 2024. Oshiomhole accused JAMB of profiting from funds generated from struggling students, many of whom are orphans.
The criticism came during an interactive session on revenue projections for 2025, where the National Assembly expressed concern over the poor remittances of revenues generated by ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to the Federation Account. Senator Sani Musa, Chairman of the Joint Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Finance, highlighted the widening gap between substantial revenue accruals and low remittances, which he said undermines the government’s ability to fund critical infrastructure and services.
Musa emphasized the committee’s commitment to ensuring transparency and accountability in the financial operations of government agencies. He called for accurate data and open records to foster trust among stakeholders and directed all heads of MDAs to appear in person for the defense of their 2025 budget proposals.
During the budget defense, Oshiomhole challenged JAMB Registrar Prof. Ishaq Oloyede to justify the agency’s expenditures, specifically questioning the necessity of N850 million spent on security, cleaning, and fumigation. “What did you fumigate? Is it mosquitoes that took all this money?” he asked, further condemning the agency’s N600 million expenditure on local travels.
Oloyede reported that JAMB remitted N4 billion to the Consolidated Revenue Fund in 2024 while receiving a grant of N6 billion from the Federal Government. This raised concerns among committee members, including Abiodun Faleke, who questioned why a self-sustaining agency like JAMB should rely on federal allocations.
The National Assembly Joint Committee on Finance also scrutinized the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) for failing to remit N8 billion generated in 2024. The committee’s co-chairs, Musa and Hon. James Faleke, demanded details on unremitted funds and expressed their commitment to addressing fiscal challenges.
As part of its oversight responsibilities, the committee announced the establishment of a special panel to investigate a revenue shortfall exceeding N4 trillion due to indiscriminate waivers by government agencies. Senator Adamu Aliero, who moved the motion for the investigation, emphasized the need for accountability and transparency in revenue collection and expenditure.
The National Assembly’s rigorous approach aims to ensure that government agencies operate efficiently and transparently, ultimately benefiting the Nigerian populace.
