Oloyede Defends JAMB’s Budget: Fumigation Cost Below N1 Million
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has clarified recent misunderstandings regarding alleged extravagant spending, particularly on fumigation and other services in 2024. Speaking to newsmen in Abuja, JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, dismissed reports of reckless expenditure, emphasizing that the Board’s total spending on fumigation across the country in 2024 amounted to less than N1 million.
“I want to say emphatically, without any iota of doubt, that I never presented any budget performance for 2024 before the National Assembly yesterday. I think it’s a lot of misunderstanding,” Oloyede stated, addressing the controversy stemming from the 2025 budget proposal presented to the National Assembly Joint Committee on Finance.
He explained that misunderstandings arose because the breakdown of the budget proposal wasn’t fully reviewed during the presentation, leading to confusion about the actual figures. “We provided the breakdown with asterisks to highlight it, but we didn’t go and read the other pages where we explained what we were doing,” he said.
Regarding the alleged N6.5 billion spent on training in 2024, Oloyede clarified that this amount was a proposed figure for 2025, covering a range of budget lines, including monitoring examinations, e-facilities payment, and awards for best higher education institutions. He noted that JAMB engages 10,500 examiners and invigilators for both the mock and the UTME, with some staying for up to 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 asked.
On claims of exorbitant spending on meals, Oloyede clarified that JAMB provides one lunch for staff at its headquarters, primarily for security reasons and to protect ICT infrastructure. “We don’t allow people to bring food because we have sensitive equipment that could be damaged,” he explained. The projected cost for providing meals for 2,300 staff members for 12 months in 2025 is over N1 billion, according to the proposed budget.
Oloyede also responded to calls for a reduction in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) fee. He reminded the public that the fee had already been reduced from N5,000 to N3,500, making it the lowest globally for any admission process. “If we are given a fair opportunity to explain, Nigerians will know that I, Ishaq Oloyede, would not misappropriate or misuse money,” he asserted.
Additionally, Oloyede addressed concerns about the proposed budget for cleaners, security personnel, and other staff, noting that the increase in minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000 would naturally lead to a rise in budget allocations for their salaries. He expressed hope that the National Assembly committee would provide an opportunity for him to clarify any lingering misunderstandings and ensure that the true figures were accurately represented.
