Reps Orders JAMB to Pay N3.6 Billion to Federal Treasury Amid Dispute Over Remittance Compliance
Mercy Adi
The House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee has directed the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to remit N3,602,605,277 to the federal government’s Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF). This decision comes after a heated session on Monday, during which the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) brought JAMB before the committee over its operating surplus.
Rep. Bamidele Salam, the committee chairman, presided over the hearing, where FRC representative Mr. Bello Aliyu revealed that JAMB’s liabilities had risen significantly from N390,725,324 in 2021 to the current amount. The FRC had previously notified JAMB of this figure via letters sent on March 14 and August 31, 2024, but had received no response.
JAMB’s Director of Finance and Administration, Mr. Mufutau Bello, countered that the discrepancy stemmed from a dispute over the percentage of revenue that should be remitted. He argued that JAMB had adhered to a 25% remittance rate, as previously agreed with the Accountant General, despite the FRC’s recent push for a 50% rate.
In response, Chairman Salam emphasized that remittance regulations are not open to interpretation and must be adhered to strictly according to the law. The FRC clarified that, under the Fiscal Responsibility Act and the 2021 Finance Act, JAMB, classified as a partially funded agency, is required to remit 50% of its gross revenue.
The committee, dissatisfied with JAMB’s lack of response to the FRC’s communications, has given JAMB a 30-day deadline to make the payment and provide evidence of the remittance.
