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From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Two labour unions at the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), the National Association of Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), have expressed support for the proposed increase in allocation for staff feeding in the 2025 budget.
The unions described the move as essential to enhancing productivity within the Board, while also clarifying the rationale behind the N1.1 billion proposed in the 2025 budget for the feeding scheme, countering misrepresentations surrounding the figure.
NASU JAMB Chapter Chairman Andrew Onakpa, in a statement, commended the Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, for prioritising staff welfare. He noted that the plan to expand the lunch provision, previously exclusive to the headquarters, to over 2,300 staff across JAMB’s 44 offices nationwide, is highly commendable.
He said:
“We have over 2,300 staff in more than 44 offices nationwide. When you calculate the cost of feeding across all working days in a year, the figure is understandably significant. It’s not about mismanagement; it’s about improving welfare.”
Onakpa expressed concern over the backlash from the National Assembly during JAMB’s recent budget defence, warning that it could jeopardise the welfare initiatives.
ASCSN JAMB Branch Chairman, Ebenezer Ayalibola, also stressed the importance of prioritising workers’ welfare. He emphasised that the welfare committee had meticulously calculated the feeding budget before its inclusion in the proposal.
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He explained:
“If you multiply the agreed amount per staff, per day across 12 months, the figure will naturally add up to N1.1 billion. This was a collective decision by the welfare committee, not the Registrar acting alone.”
On the N850 million reportedly proposed for fumigation, Ayalibola clarified that the figure includes all cleaning services, fumigation, and security across JAMB’s offices nationwide.
He stated:
“The money was not for just fumigation alone but also included all cleaning services and security for a year at all our offices nationwide. The aggregate of all the salaries for our contractors who provide these services is what constituted that N850 million.”
Ayalibola further noted that these welfare measures are part of JAMB’s Condition of Service, which is periodically reviewed and subject to National Assembly approval.
It should be recalled that during a recent budget defence exercise in the National Assembly, JAMB proposed an increase in staff feeding allowance for 2025 to N1.1 billion.
The increase in cost was attributed to the rise in meal prices from N1,200 per day to N2,200, driven by escalating food prices, as well as the expansion of the scheme to cover 2,300 staff members throughout the working days in 2025.
Although the total cost was projected to be N1.27 billion, JAMB budgeted N1.1 billion for this purpose.
