From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
The National Assembly has retracted its earlier statement that the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is involved in financial impropriety.
On Monday, during its budget defence session with the Registrar of JAMB, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, the Joint Finance Committee of the House of Representatives and the Senate accused the examination body of spending an outrageous N1.1 billion on meals and N850 million for fumigation, among other expenses.
They then directed the agency to furnish the committee with details of its budgetary appropriation and spending for 2024 and 2025.
However, in a statement personally signed by the chairman of the joint committee, Sen. Sani Musa, on Wednesday night, the lawmakers said that Oloyede and JAMB were wrongly accused of reckless spending based on the latest documents submitted to the committee by JAMB.
The statement, titled “Clarification on the JAMB Report on Revenue,” reads: “For the purpose of clarity, the comprehensive report provided by JAMB indicates that the line items mentioned during Monday’s hearing on revenue do not suggest any mismanagement or misuse of the Board’s funds.
“On the contrary, the report highlights the responsible and prudent use of resources under the leadership of the Registrar.
“The Registrar, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, deserves commendation for demonstrating financial discipline and accountability in managing the Board’s resources effectively.
“This level of stewardship serves as a model for public institutions across the nation.”