Reps committee flags JAMB’s recruitment of 300 staff

A House of Representatives committee that is looking into job racketeering in ministries, departments, and agencies has raised concerns about the recruitment of 300 employees by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

The committee expressed concerns about these appointments because the board’s management chose to use waivers instead of publicly advertising the job openings.

These concerns were brought up during a session on Monday when the Registrar of JAMB, Ishaq Oloyede, appeared before the committee.

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Oloyede conveyed to the committee that the board organized five rounds of recruitment from 2015 to 2023 in order to address openings resulting from retirements.

“We used the waiver because we believe the exigency of the time and the nature of our work deserve it. If we were to advertise for the 300, we wouldn’t be able to meet up with what we needed them for. I believe very strongly that it was very, very necessary at that time that we recruited, and I assure you that we did not surcharge those who were qualified,” the JAMB registrar said.

However, Yusuf Gagdi, the committee’s chairman, stated that JAMB’s decision to hire employees without advertising the positions violates legal regulations.

According to Gagdi, “What makes you think advertising wouldn’t have been better? You have the capacity to screen the people that apply to get better hands to do those jobs. I’m asking this because we are most interested in correcting the fraud associated with waivers.”