Reps order JAMB to remit N3 billion to FG

The House of Representatives has ordered the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board to remit N3.602 billion to the federal government’s Consolidated Revenue Fund.

Bamidele Salam, the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, gave the order during an investigative hearing in Abuja, saying the Fiscal Responsibility Commission demanded the remittance.

Mr Salam said the remittance was not subject to personal interpretation. He said it was a matter of law or regulation and had nothing to do with the difference between the 25 per cent and 50 per cent as argued by JAMB.

The committee unanimously ordered that JAMB should send the fund to FRC and provide evidence of the remittance within 30 days.

The FRC had dragged JAMB before the committee over an unremitted operating surplus.

Bello Aliyu, the representative of FRC, said as of 2021, and in agreement with the record submitted to the committee, the liabilities were N390.725 million.

According to him, after the submission of that report, JAMB has submitted their 2022 audited financial statement; we have computed the liabilities and duly informed them.

“The new liability as of 2022 is N3.602 billion. This we have notified them via our letter written on the March 14, and another reminder, which we just submitted as of August 31. There was no response to the letter from the board,” he said.

While reacting to the allegation, Mufutau Bello, JAMB’s director of finance and administration, said the difference in remittances was that FRC wanted to move the board to 50 per cent of revenue.

“As an organisation in 2019, because of our commitment to revenue remittance, the federal government reduced the cost of our registration from N5,000 to N3,500,” stated Mr Bello.

According to him, this is for the benefit of all Nigerians, as we have been following with passion a remittance of 25 per cent yearly, and we are in the education sector.

“We have not increased any of our charges in the last eight years. Rather, we reduced the fee from N5,000 to N3,500, which is 30 per cent of our revenue. The accountant-general always gives us the concession to operate 25 per cent of remittances,” he said.

Mr Bello said the FRC believed that the board should move to 50 per cent, as against the 25 per cent concession given by the Office of the Accountant-General, which is the area of difference.

“If you judge us on 25 per cent, we have over-remitted over the years, and that’s what we have been doing,” he said.

(NAN)