The House of Representatives has questioned the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) over alleged extra-budgetary expenditures, including N3 billion paid for staff pension benefits and N710 million spent on computer-related items, far above the N220 million approved for the purpose in the 2026 budget.

The lawmakers also demanded clarification on N874 million reportedly spent on meals and refreshments, as well as N696 million on travel and transportation, expressing concerns over the board’s financial accountability and adherence to approved appropriations.

The concerns were raised by the House Committee on Examination Bodies during an oversight session with JAMB Registrar, Professor Segun Aina, and members of the board’s management.

The committee sought explanations for expenditures it said were not adequately reflected in the board’s approved 2026 budget.

Explaining the N3 billion payment, Aina said the funds were used to settle accumulated obligations under an additional staff benefit scheme initially designed as a housing programme.

He disclosed that JAMB had allocated N1 billion annually to the scheme in 2024, 2025 and 2026 before consolidating the provisions into a single payment to clear outstanding obligations.

However, the explanation was challenged by the lawmakers, who questioned the legality of merging allocations from different fiscal years without explicit legislative approval.

Committee Chairman, Oboku Oforji, said budgetary appropriations were tied to specific financial periods and that unused allocations could not be transferred or redirected without authorisation from the National Assembly.

Oforji consequently requested documentary evidence showing that the legislature had approved the conversion of the housing scheme allocations into pension contributions.

The committee also raised concerns over JAMB’s computer-related spending, noting that several budget lines appeared to overlap in their provisions for computer equipment and consumables.

The lawmakers observed that the expenditure had reached approximately N710 million, exceeding the approved N220 million by N490 million, and demanded an explanation for the difference.

Responding, Aina acknowledged the need for improved clarity in the presentation of the board’s financial records, explaining that some documents submitted to the committee contained figures from different budget years, which may have contributed to the discrepancies.

Beyond the financial concerns, the committee also highlighted challenges faced by candidates during examinations and the admission process, particularly the shortage of examination centres and inconsistencies between admission offers issued by tertiary institutions and those recognised by JAMB.

A committee member cited Wamba Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, where candidates reportedly travel to neighbouring local government areas to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) due to the absence of an examination centre.

The lawmaker urged the registrar to address the situation and improve access to examination facilities nationwide.

Aina, who assumed office on August 1, 2026, said his administration was implementing reforms to restore public confidence in the board and reduce difficulties encountered by candidates.

He disclosed that JAMB had introduced a National Identification Number Alignment Service in partnership with the National Identity Management Commission to resolve discrepancies in candidates’ personal records.

According to him, the initiative would enable candidates with updated or harmonised identities to synchronise their records with NIMC, addressing problems that had previously prevented some graduates from participating in the National Youth Service Corps scheme.

The registrar also announced a collaboration with the West African Examinations Council, National Examinations Council and National Business and Technical Examinations Board to establish electronic verification of O’Level results.

He said the initiative would allow candidates to retrieve and verify their examination results electronically without necessarily visiting JAMB offices.

Following the unresolved discrepancies in the board’s financial submissions, the committee directed Aina and his management team to review and resubmit the documents alongside relevant supporting evidence.

The lawmakers said a new hearing date would be announced after the outstanding issues had been addressed, emphasising the need for transparency, accountability and strict compliance with approved budgetary provisions by public institutions.