Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has decried the misrepresentation of figures in the 2025 budget proposal presented to the National Assembly Joint Committee on Finance.
Oloyede, while fielding questions from newsmen at a sideline of an event in Abuja on Tuesday, dismissed reports making rounds that the Board spent huge amount on fumigation, meals, among other items in 2024.
Oloyede stated that the Board’s total expenditure for fumigation across all states in 2024 was less than N1 million.
He said that what was presented before the commitee was not the 2024 expenditure but solely the 2025 budget proposal.
He added that claims regarding humongous spending in 2024 on meals or fumigation, security and cleaning were totally unfounded.
“I want to say emphatically, without any iota of doubt, that I never presented any budget performance of 2024 before the National Assembly yesterday. I think it’s a lot of misunderstanding.
“I did not talk about 2024 budget performance. And we did not spend any money, any humongous money in 2024.
“Indeed, what we spent on fumigation in the whole state of the Federation, all offices in 2024, not up to N1million. And what we budgeted for 2025 for fumigation is less than N2 million,” he said.
Oloyede explained that misunderstandings arose because the detailed breakdown of the budget proposal was not fully reviewed during the presentation.
On the N6.5 billion allegedly spent on training in 2024, Oloyede said the money was just a proposal for 2025 that cut across various budget lines.
He added that this included monitoring of examination, admission expenses, e-facilities payment, awards for best higher education institutions, among others.
“We have 10,500 examiners and invigilators going to conduct both the mock and the UTME. Some of them stay for 10 days.
“I do not determine their DTA. It’s the government that determines the DTA to be paid to them. So what offence have I committed in putting their claims together?” he said.
On the alleged huge amount spent on meal, Oloyede said “Everybody knows that at the JAMB headquarters, we provide one lunch for those in the headquarters. And we provide this lunch for them, partly because we don’t want our system to be destroyed.
” Apart from the fact that there are security reasons for not allowing people going in and coming out.
“You also know that we have some ICT infrastructure that will be damaged if we allow people to be bringing food and remnant.
” So we created the canteen and we provide for them. So we are now saying for 2025, we should provide for 2,300.
“2,300 times 22 days, times 12 months, what will it be if not over N1 billion? ”
Speaking on the clamour for downward review of Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) fee, he said the fee remained reviewed from N5,000 to N3,500.
“This is the least paid anywhere in the world for any admission unless you want it to be given free.
” And we can assure you, if we are given a fair opportunity to explain, Nigerians will know that I, Ishaq Oloyede, would not misappropriate or misuse money,” he said.
Oloyode said the figure proposed for cleaners, security, among others were also misrepresented.
“In all the states of the federation, we have 580 security men and cleaners. Where would their salaries come from?.
“The increase in minimum wage from N30,000 to N70, 000 will also lead to increase in their budgetary provision.
He, however, expressed hope that the National Assembly committee would allow him to provide further clarifications on the budget to resolve any lingering misunderstandings. (NAN)
