The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has clarified that it interfaced with members of the National Assembly on its proposed budget for 2025 and not its 2024 expenditures.
There were reports in some sections of the media that the National Assembly Joint Committee on Finance on Monday queried JAMB) over “excessive spendings” on meals, refreshments, mosquito killings and others in 2024.
The committee was also reported to have threatened to cut off the federal government’s allocation to the board in the 2025 budget, wondering why the agency should only remit N4 billion to the Consolidated Revenue Fund in 2024 despite receiving a grant of N6 billion from the federal government.
This development was said to have caused uproar during the budget defence as the lawmakers decried the spending on provision of food for workers who are already receiving salaries from the government.
For the lawmakers, the idea of feeding workers who are already being paid for them to cater for their food and other essentials is needless and a waste of public funds.
Reacting in a statement, the Board debunked being queried by the lawmakers for spending N9 billion on meals, refreshment and security, rather, it disclosed that the board only defended the 2025 proposed budget.
JAMB’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, said the board, on Monday, January 13, 2025 appeared before the Joint Committee of both the Senate and the House of Representatives on Finance to defend its 2025 budget proposal, in compliance with statutory requirements, noting that the board was able to justify the rationale behind budgeting N1.1billion for workers daily lunch.
He explained that the Board thought it necessary to feed the workers in order to prevent them from getting access to the public during working hours.
According to him, “It is crucial to note that what JAMB on the prompting of the Committee presented was not the 2024 expenditure but solely the 2025 budget proposal, which meant that claims regarding humongous spending in 2024 on meals or fumigation, security and cleaning are totally unfounded.”
He said among the items included in the 2025 budget proposal is the provision of one meal per day for the 2,300 staff members, including cleaners and security agents of the Board nationwide, covering all working days throughout the year.
He said the budget for meals was increased in the 2025 proposed budget because of the high cost of food items.
“Over the past two years, the cost of providing this meal for headquarters staff (on the 2 offices in the Board) was N1, 200 per day, per staff. However, due to rising food prices, vendors have requested an increase to N2, 200 (including 13.5% taxes). Based on this new price, the total cost for providing meals for 2,300 staff members throughout the working days in 2025 is projected to be N1.27 billion. Nevertheless, JAMB has budgeted N1.1 billion for this purpose,” he added.
The JAMB’s spokesperson said the initiative to provide meals is a recognition of the sensitive responsibilities of JAMB staff and to minimize their exposure to the public during working hours and avoid the danger that eating in the offices posed to ICT infrastructure.
He added that the management had obtained approval to start providing lunch at the headquarters, with plans to extend the initiative to all the offices nationwide, in response to consistent requests from outstation employees.
He said another significant provision in the budget proposal is the N850 million earmarked for the emolument of outsourced cleaners, security personnel, cleaning materials, fumigation services and tax.
He explained that the N850 million proposed in the budget proposal covers running and operational costs, with only N2 million specifically earmarked for fumigation services for the year.
On N6.4 billion proposed for “Local Travel and Transport (Training)” for the over 10,500 staff and other officials to be assigned to conduct the 2025 UTME- mock examination and other engagements, Benjamin disclosed that the template provided for Government Owned Enterprises (GOEs) mandates that all expenditures peculiar to JAMB be categorized under this heading.
He submitted that the Board is not allowed to create any other heading.
