The House of Representatives has instructed the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board to remit N3.602 billion to the Federal Government Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF).
Rep. Bamidele Salam, the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, issued this directive during an investigative hearing in Abuja, emphasizing that the remittance was mandated by the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC).
Salam clarified that the remittance was a legal obligation, not open to individual interpretation, and unrelated to the discrepancy between the 25 percent and 50 percent figures cited by JAMB.
The Committee unanimously decreed that JAMB must transfer the specified amount to the FRC and furnish proof of the transaction within 30 days.
The Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) had summoned JAMB before the committee due to unremitted operating surplus.
According to Mr. Bello Aliyu, the FRC representative, the outstanding liabilities amounted to N390.725 million in 2021. Subsequently, after assessing JAMB’s 2022 financial statement, the revised liability was determined to be N3.602 billion. Despite multiple notifications from the FRC, JAMB remained unresponsive to the matter.
In response to the accusation, Mr. Mufutau Bello, JAMB’s Director of Finance and Administration, explained that the disparity in remittance figures stemmed from the FRC’s insistence on increasing the board’s revenue share from 25 percent to 50 percent.
He highlighted JAMB’s commitment to reducing registration fees in 2019, maintaining a consistent 25 percent remittance, and refraining from fee hikes for the past eight years.
Bello underscored that the FRC’s proposal to elevate the remittance percentage to 50 percent conflicted with the 25 percent concession granted by the Office of the Accountant-General.
He defended JAMB’s compliance with the 25 percent remittance rate, emphasizing that the board had consistently exceeded this requirement over the years.
