NASS REPUBLIC: Checking JAMB’s excessive fees. Two other stories, and a quote to remember

The House of Representatives, last week, resolved to conduct a thorough investigation on the alleged imposition of multiple processing and administration fees by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), and its accredited agents on the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), candidates.

We selected two other stories from the National Assembly (NASS), for your reading delight.

1, JAMB’s excessive fees

The House, on March 23, during plenary, adopted a motion moved by Hon. Sergius Ogun to investigate the alleged additional fees imposed on JAMB examination candidates.

“In recent times, in addition to the registration fees for the examination, all sorts of processing and administrative fees were imposed on JAMB examination candidates. For every other service, apart from the JAMB registration provided in relation to the examination, an administrative fee is imposed by JAMB,” Ogun said, while moving the motion.

Ogun’s motion raises concerns about the institutional role of JAMB, an issue that probes whether the board should exist as a revenue generating agency or focus on the important task of regulating admission into higher institutions in the country.

It is imperative, therefore, that the move to interrogate suspicious fees charged by JAMB be sustained. This is necessary because as an institution set up by law, the board must be seen to act within the ambits of the law that birthed it.

The legislators are encouraged to ensure that this does not just end up as mere motion but a thorough review exercise intended to effect change and drive efficiency in the operations of JAMB.

NASS MEMORY LANE

Who said;

“Many landlords did not secure loans to build their houses, they are products of free money they acquired from the system. Yet, they make life difficult for poor Nigerians who do not have such privilege of making ill-gotten money from the system and putting up structures.”

Answer: See end of post

Two other stories

READ ALSO: NASS REPUBLIC: Endorsing Tinubu for presidency. Two other stories, and a quote to remember

2, Gbajabiamila’s challenge to Nigerians

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, on March 26, challenged all Nigerians to help build a better Nigeria, saying everyone has a role to play.

“Nation-building is a joint task; we all have a role…We have kept with the Nigerian people by enacting legislation to improve the way we live and work, to create opportunities for commerce and wealth creation, fix gaps in our electoral process and strengthen our democracy,” he said at the just-concluded All Progressives Congress (APC) National Convention in Abuja.

No one can agree less with Gbajabiamila but it must be said that the bane of the country is poor leadership made manifest in rising insecurity, corruption, and poverty inflicted on the people by mal-administration.

Indeed, the call for change would have no meaningful effect if Nigerian leaders do not exercise leadership by example that would inspire the citizenry to act right in the quest for development.

3, Bringing back coins

The House of Representatives, on March 22, charged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to enforce the use of coins as legal tender and see that banks comply fully with the directive.

The House’s charge was sequel to the adoption of a motion moved by Hon. Muda Umar at the plenary, in Abuja.

Umar said: “The day to day business transactions of ordinary Nigerians have been significantly affected as the lack of coins and other lower denominations have resulted in prices being summed up to the nearest Naira equivalent, a situation that can best be described as inflation in economic terms.”

It is doubtful what the impact of this motion would be considering that years of economic mismanagement had led Nigeria to this end where 1kobo, N1 and N2 have no purchasing power. Thus, the move to push the CBN to enforce coins as a legal tender may be a waste of time, and effort.

The House should rather expend its energy on legislations that would help fix the already bad economy.

Answer: Smart Adeyemi

Adeyemi made the statement, on January 18, 2022, while speaking to journalists after a plenary where he presented a bill to restrain landlords, across the country, from demanding more than three months rent from tenants. He represents Kogi West Senatorial District.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now