The House of Representatives’ ad hoc committee has queried the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for recruiting 300 personnel without advertising the vacancies.

The ad hoc committee is probing job racketeering in ministries, departments, agencies (MDAs), parastatals, and tertiary institutions.

The committee is also investigating mismanagement of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information (IPPIS).

The Registrar of JAMB, Ishaq Oloyede, told the panel on Monday that the board conducted the recruitment using a waiver granted it by the Federal Government.

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Oloyede said: “We used the waiver because we believe the exigency of the time and the nature of our work deserves 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 are qualified.”

But the Chairman of the Committee, Yusuf Gagdi (APC, Plateau), dismissed Oloyede’s explanation, stating that the process adopted must have denied several qualified people the opportunity of applying.

“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,” Gagdi said.

The Star