…Urges other govt. agencies to emulate examination body
The Senate Committee on Basic Education has urged other agencies of government to emulate the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Boards, JAMB in revenue generation and remittance.
The Chairman of the committee, Senator Akon Eyakenyi (Akwa Ibom south) made the call in her final remarks during the 2021 budget defence of JAMB.
Commending the efforts of the examination body and its registrar Professor Ishaq Oloyede, the Senator said JAMB has not only remitted more internally generated revenue, IGR to government coffers, but has also met its Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR to schools and its host community of Bwari, Abuja.
“JAMB has demonstrated transparency and excellence in public service by exceeding its revenue target year in year out”, Eyakenyi said.
In response to a question, Prof. Oloyede said JAMB would have remitted more revenue, but for its Information Technology infrastructure deficit.
He however, thanked the Senate and the Federal Government for “graciously approving” the proposed plan to create a centre in Abuja for which they have been setting aside N2 billion in the last three years.
Oloyede said this project would have been completed in 2020 if not for the Covid-19 pandemic. He however said they still need about N500 million to complete the sum.
“When we get the N6 billion there will be increase in terms of returns because we wouldn’t need to spend much on infrastructure”, he told the Senate committee.
Speaking with journalists at the National Assembly after the meeting, the Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede said he felt “the National Assembly through the committee has encouraged my colleagues who are doing the work. It’s not for me, because I’m just one person out of over two thousand. I believe my colleagues and I are encouraged by the compliments of the committee and we will continue to do better.
Oloyede said what is happening in JAMB is not “magic” but doing what expected of every responsible Nigerian”.
