The House of Representatives has mandated the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to remit ₦3.602 billion to the Federal Government Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF).
Rep. Bamidele Salam, Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, issued the directive during an investigative hearing in Abuja. This order follows a complaint by the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) regarding JAMB’s unremitted operating surplus.
Salam emphasized that the remittance is a legal obligation and not subject to interpretation. He clarified that the amount demanded is not influenced by the disagreement over the percentage of revenue remittance (25% vs. 50%) as previously argued by JAMB. The Committee instructed JAMB to pay the specified amount to FRC and provide proof of payment within 30 days.
The FRC had previously taken JAMB to the committee over an outstanding operating surplus. Bello Aliyu, FRC’s representative, reported that JAMB’s liabilities stood at ₦390.725 million as of 2021. Following the submission of JAMB’s 2022 audited financial statement, the liabilities were recalculated to ₦3.602 billion. Despite notifications sent on March 14 and a reminder on August 31, JAMB had not responded.
In response, Mufutau Bello, JAMB’s Director of Finance and Administration, argued that the discrepancy arose because FRC sought to increase the remittance rate to 50%, whereas JAMB had been remitting 25% annually. He highlighted that JAMB had reduced the registration fee from ₦5,000 to ₦3,500 in 2019, reflecting its commitment to affordability and compliance with the 25% remittance rate approved by the Accountant-General. He contended that JAMB had over-remitted in line with this concession and had not increased any charges in the past eight years.
