Vice-Chancellor of Federal University, Gusau, Prof. Muazu Abubakar, has exonerated members of the House of Representatives Committee on University Education over alleged request for N480 million as a condition for passing federal universities’ 2025 budgets.
In a letter addressed to the Chairman of the committee, Rep. Abubakar Fulata (APC-Jigawa) dated Jan. 27, Abubakar faulted the media reports alleging that the lawmakers were pressuring some university vice-chancellors to pay the said amount.
The vice-chancellor, who personally signed the letter, said that in the said publication, it was alleged that lawmakers were using intimidation and threats to force the heads of universities to pay N8 million each to approve their allocations in the 2025 budget.
He said that the lawmakers were alleged in the report to be targetting a ‘stubborn vice-chancellor’ who appeared to be him.
Abubakar said that his initial intention was to ignore the write-up in its entirety, but on a closer reflection, he deemed it necessary to respond to the issues raised there.
This, he said, was to foreclose any possibility of such “jaundiced, misleading and vexatious insinuations being taken for the truth by otherwise discerning members of the National Assembly.
“The attention of the VC, Federal University, Gusau, has been drawn to a trending online news item as captioned “Investigation: Nigerian lawmakers demand N480 million from universities to approve 2025 budget.
“We make bold to say that no member of the university team at the budget defence is a party to the information concocted and put out in the media space.
“We, therefore, urge you, the chairman and members of your honourable committee, to discountenance the malicious and mischievous write-up which has a proclivity towards sensational headlines and destructive journalism.
“Mr Chairman, the Governing Council, the vice-chancellor and indeed, the management and Senate of the Federal University Gusau, openly acknowledge the praise-worthy support of your committee.
“We pledge to work assiduously to further cement such relationship in the interest of the overall development of the university and furtherance of tertiary education in Nigeria,” he said.
The vice-chancellor described the budget defence session with the committee as ‘robust, friendly and convivial session’.
The chairman of the committee had, earlier at a news conference, dismissed the media report, saying that the allegation was designed to undermine the efforts of the committee to improve the standard of education in the country.
Fulata said that his reaction to the allegation was to avoid misleading the general public about the activities of the committee and the 10th House of Representatives.
He said that it was ridiculous for anyone or group to suggest that lawmakers were demanding for a “kobo” as a condition for approving budget proposals. (NAN)
