The House of Representatives has directed the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to remit N3.602 billion to the Federal Government’s Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF).
This directive was issued by Hon. Bamidele Salam, Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, during an investigative hearing in Abuja.
Salam emphasized that remitting the operating surplus is a legal requirement and cannot be subject to individual interpretation.
“It is a matter of law or regulation,” he stated, referencing JAMB’s concerns about the percentage of revenue remitted.
The Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) had earlier brought the issue to the Committee’s attention, accusing JAMB of failing to remit its operating surplus as mandated.
According to FRC representative Mr. Bello Aliyu, JAMB’s liabilities had risen to N3.602 billion as of 2022, despite repeated notifications sent on March 14 and August 31.
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Aliyu expressed disappointment over JAMB’s failure to respond to these notices.
In defense, JAMB’s Director of Finance and Administration, Mr. Mufutau Bello, argued that the dispute arose from a shift in the percentage of remittance from 25% to 50%.
He explained that the government reduced JAMB’s registration fee from N5,000 to N3,500 in 2019 as part of its commitment to making education affordable, and noted that JAMB had adhered to the 25% remittance agreement.
Bello maintained that, if judged by the 25% concession granted by the Accountant-General, JAMB had “overremitted” over the years.
The House Committee gave JAMB a 30-day deadline to comply with the directive and submit evidence of the remittance.
The resolution of the issue will depend on further deliberations between JAMB and the FRC regarding the remittance percentage.
