By Felix Khanoba
The Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) have rejected allegations of financial mismanagement and corruption within the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), describing them as baseless and unfounded.
In a joint statement, NASU’s JAMB Branch Chairman, Comrade Andrew Onakpa, and his ASCSN counterpart, Comrade Ebenezer Ayelabola, condemned the claims as a deliberate attempt to tarnish the Board’s reputation and undermine its management’s welfare initiatives.
The allegations, reportedly made by former JAMB staff member ,Yisa Usman, suggest that funds were misappropriated. However, the unions dismissed these claims, claiming that Usman is merely attempting to discredit the Board.
They challenged Usman to substantiate his accusations, pointing out that all JAMB staff, including Usman himself, received payments directly into their personal accounts before 2016.
“With the implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA), all staff, including Mr. Usman, received advances directly into their accounts. If he has evidence to the contrary, he should provide it.
“Furthermore, his assertion that the Board self-declared as a Government-Owned Enterprise (GOE) reflects a lack of understanding. The Federal Government, through existing laws, designated the Board as a GOE, and it is obligated to comply with government directives.
“Mr. Usman also criticizes the staff housing scheme, failing to acknowledge that government regulations permit housing initiatives for individual home acquisition through grants and loans. What is restricted is the government’s ownership and maintenance of official housing, not such welfare-driven programs,” the statement read.
The unions further stated that multiple government agencies had investigated Usman’s claims and cleared JAMB of any wrongdoing.
According to them, the agencies that have conducted investigations include the Office of the Immediate Past Vice-President of Nigeria, the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA) under the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Federal Ministry of Education, the Accountant General of the Federation, and the Auditor General of the Federation.
“Each of these investigations found no wrongdoing on the part of the Board. However, instead of accepting these findings, Mr. Usman resorted to disparaging these institutions, further proving his bad faith,” the unions stated.
They also alleged that Usman had a troubling history following his dismissal by the Federal Ministry of Education.
The unions called on Usman and his supporters to put an end to what they described as a smear campaign, emphasizing that JAMB’s management has worked hard to earn its integrity and will not tolerate baseless attacks on its reputation.
