Education
I never presented 2024 budget performance before NASS – Oloyede
Mariam Sanni
The Registrar, 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 , 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.
Education
JAMB: NASU, ASCSN backs proposed increase in staff feeding allocation
Mariam Sanni
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), labour union, the National Association of Non Academic Staff Union (NASU) and the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), have thrown their full weight behind the proposed increase in allocation for staff feeding in the 2025 budget, saying the move is key to improve the level of productivity in the Board.
The unions clarified the rationale behind the N1.1 billion proposed in the 2025 budget for the feeding scheme, countering recent misrepresentations about the figure.
They noted that the plan includes expanding free lunch provision, previously exclusive to the headquarters, to over 2,300 staff across JAMB’s 44 offices nationwide.
Speaking during a health walk organized by JAMB to kickstart its 2025 activities in Abuja at the weekend, NASU JAMB Chapter Chairman, Andrew Onakpa, commended the Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, for prioritizing staff welfare.
“Efforts by the Registrar to address staff welfare are humane and should not be discouraged,” he said.
While saying improved feeding scheme will enhance the performance of staff, Onakpa said the union pushed for the inclusion of other JAMB offices, adding that they were even part of the negotiations with the vendors, ensuring transparency in the process.
“We have over 2,300 staff in more than 44 offices nationwide. When you calculate the cost of feeding across all working days in a year, the figure is understandably significant. It’s not about mismanagement; it’s about improving welfare,” he said.
He expressed concern over the backlash from the National Assembly during JAMB’s recent budget defence, warning it could jeopardize these initiatives.
Onakpa described the Registrar as “a man of high calibre” and urged him to maintain his commitment to improving staff welfare despite criticism.
On his part, ASCSN JAMB Branch Chairman, Ebenezer Ayalibola, echoed Onakpa’s sentiments, emphasizing that the welfare committee meticulously calculated the feeding budget.
“This includes staff in outstations. If you multiply the agreed amount per staff per day across 12 months, the figure will naturally add up to N1.1 billion. This was a collective decision by the welfare committee, not the Registrar acting alone,” Ayalibola said.
Addressing the N850 million reportedly proposed for fumigation, Ayalibola explained that the figure encompasses all cleaning services, fumigation, and security across JAMB’s offices nationwide.
“As for the fumigation, that money was not for just fumigation alone but along with all cleaning services and security for a year at all our offices nationwide too.
” The aggregate of all the salaries for our contractors who do all the services is what constituted that N850 million.
“These costs include the salaries of contractors providing these essential services,” he clarified.
Ayalibola noted that these welfare measures are part of JAMB’s Condition of Service, which is periodically reviewed and subject to National Assembly approval.
Recall that JAMB had during a budget defence exercise in the National Assembly last week presented a proposal for an increase of staff feeding in 2025 to N1.1 billion.
The cost of the feeding was prompted by rise in cost of meal from N1, 200 per day to N2,200 due to rising food prices as well as the expansion of the scheme to cover 2,300 staff members throughout the working days in 2025.
The cost was projected to be N1.27 billion but JAMB budgeted N1.1 billion for this purpose.
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