Oshiomhole Slams JAMB Over N850m Mosquito Fumigation, N1.1bn Refreshments, And Other Expenses

Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC/Edo North) on Monday challenged the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on its spending in 2024 during the agency’s 2025 budget defense session before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Finance.

Oshiomhole queried JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, over N850 million spent on security, cleaning, and fumigation, asking, “What did you fumigate? Is it mosquitoes that took all this money?”

He also criticized the agency for spending N1.1 billion on meals and refreshments, stating, “Are you being freely fed by the government? This money comes from poor students, many of them orphans.” Additionally, Oshiomhole raised concerns over N600 million spent on local travel.

Prof. Oloyede revealed that JAMB remitted N4 billion to the Consolidated Revenue Fund in 2024 while receiving a N6 billion grant from the Federal Government.

Chairman of the House Committee on Finance, Abiodun Faleke, questioned why a self-sustaining agency like JAMB still relies on federal allocations, suggesting, “You remitted N4 billion and got N6 billion from the government. Why not keep the N4 billion and end federal funding?”

Lawmakers warned that JAMB’s allocation might be removed in future budgets unless the agency provides satisfactory justifications for its reliance on government funding.