The National Assembly Joint Committee on Finance has exonerated the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board of alleged misappropriation of funds in its 2024 budget implementation.

Chairman of the committee, Sani Musa, said in a statement on Thursday that the board was erroneously accused of reckless spending, given the documents submitted to the committee by JAMB.

He said the committee had, during the budget defence session with the registrar of JAMB, Ishaq Oloyede, alleged that the examination body spent N1.1 billion on meals and N850 million for fumigation, among others.

Mr Sani said the JAMB registrar had made efforts to explain how the alleged expenditures were made but was overruled by the committee, adding that the committee requested that JAMB present it with details of its budgetary appropriation and spending in 2024 and 2025.

Mr Sani, in the statement, said, “For the purpose of clarity, the comprehensive report provided by JAMB indicated that the line items mentioned during Monday’s hearing on revenue did not suggest any mismanagement or misuse of the board’s funds.

“On the contrary, the report highlighted the responsible and prudent use of resources under the leadership of the registrar.”

He added, “The registrar deserves commendation for demonstrating financial discipline and accountability in managing the board’s resources effectively.

“This level of stewardship serves as a model for public institutions across the nation.”

(NAN)