The National Association of Non Academic Staff Union (NASU) and the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), have backed the N1.1 billion allocation by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board for staff feeding in the 2025 budget.

Speaking at a health walk organised by JAMB to kickstart its 2025 activities in Abuja over the weekend, the unions said the allocation was key to improve the level of productivity in the Board.

The unions, which countered the recent misrepresentations about the figure, noted, that the plan includes expanding free lunch provision, previously exclusive to the headquarters, to over 2,300 staff across JAMB’s 44 offices nationwide.

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NASU’s Chapter Chairman in JAMB, Andrew Onakpa, who spoke on behalf of the Union, commended the Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, for prioritizing staff welfare.

“Efforts by the Registrar to address staff welfare are humane and should not be discouraged,” he said.

According to him, an improved feeding scheme will enhance staff performance. He added that the union pushed for the inclusion of other JAMB offices.

“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,” he said.

He expressed concern over the backlash from the National Assembly during JAMB’s recent budget defence, warning it could jeopardize these initiatives.

Onakpa described the registrar as “a man of high calibre” and urged him to maintain his commitment to improving staff welfare despite criticism.

On his part, ASCSN JAMB Branch Chairman, Ebenezer Ayalibola, corroborated Onakpa’s sentiments, emphasizing that the welfare committee meticulously calculated the feeding budget.

“This includes staff in outstations. 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,” Ayalibola said.

Addressing the N850 million reportedly proposed for fumigation, Ayalibola explained that the figure encompasses all cleaning services, fumigation, and security across JAMB’s offices nationwide.

“As for the fumigation, that money was not for just fumigation alone but along with all cleaning services and security for a year at all our offices nationwide too.

”The aggregate of all the salaries for our contractors who do all the services is what constituted that N850 million.

“These costs include the salaries of contractors providing these essential services,” he clarified.