We didn’t demand N50m bribe to pass 2025 varsities budget — Reps panel

The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on University Education, Mr Abubakar Fulata, says there is no iota of truth to the claim that his committee demanded a bribe of N50 million from each vice-chancellor of federal government-owned universities as a precondition for the passage of their 2025 budgets.

A report by Premium Times had alleged that the committee was compelling vice-chancellors of about 60 federal universities to pay N8 million each, totalling N480 million, before approving their 2025 budgetary allocations.

Fulata, representing Birniwa/Guri/Kiri Federal Constituency of Jigawa State, in an interview, described the report as not only a deliberate attempt to mislead Nigerians but also designed to undermine the effort of the committee to reposition the tertiary education system in the country.

Fulata, who chaired the House Committee on Rules and Business in the 9th National Assembly, said it was mischievous and ridiculous for anyone or any group to point accusing fingers at him for demanding money as a condition to approve a budget proposal.

The lawmaker called on media practitioners to always cross-check the information at their disposal before disseminating it to the public.
Fulata, addressing issues raised in the Premium Times report, noted that the House Committee on University Education had, in 2024, carried out oversight visits to all federal universities under his committee’s supervision, except for Federal University Gusau in Zamfara State, whose vice-chancellor allegedly stopped them from accessing the institution.

He also accused the Gusau University VC of failing to provide documents regarding the budget performance of previous years (2022 to 2024) and the 2025 budget proposal, which were aimed at getting a clearer picture of the progress and challenges of the universities.

According to him, the management of almost all the universities visited complained seriously about the hike in electricity tariffs.

“Some of the universities were paying about N100 million as electricity tariff every month, and we thought this cannot help our tertiary institutions. I moved a motion on this issue, and the House came up with the resolution urging a downward review of electricity tariffs or the removal of these institutions from the Band A group of electricity tariffs. Mr. President again listened to our appeal and approved a 50 per cent subsidy on electricity tariffs for universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and all tertiary institutions and hospitals,” Fulata said.

On the allegation that the meeting, initially scheduled for 10 a.m. that day at the National Assembly, was delayed until 3 p.m. due to behind-the-scenes discussions between lawmakers and some vice-chancellors, Fulata said the committee had a budget defense meeting for the National University Commission and vice-chancellors of universities on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, which was Armed Forces Remembrance Day, and not the date and time mischievously stated by the medium.

He insisted that the budget defense, which took place at the House temporary chamber, was open to the general public and media, as there was no executive session or closed-door session, and it was brought to a close before another committee, the House Committee on Water Resources, commenced its budget defense meeting in the same venue at 2 p.m.

He maintained that heads of MDAs, just like President Bola Tinubu, are obliged to appear before the National Assembly to defend their budget proposals, no matter the nature of their schedule.

He added: “Similarly, if the Ministers of Education, the Executive Secretary of NUC, and other Parastatals under the Ministry, as well as over 50 universities, could come and defend their budget proposals before the committee, there is no reason why the vice-chancellors of the University of Lagos, Federal University Gusau, and Army University Bi’u should refuse to come and defend their budget proposals. Instead, they have resorted to blackmail, smear campaigns, and the sponsorship of public outcry against the committee.

“Interestingly, the University of Lagos and the University of Ibadan are part of the universities indicted by the Auditor-General of the Federation for financial malfeasance and refused to appear before the House Committee on Public Accounts to answer the audit queries.

“The committee has placed the matter before the leadership of the House, insisting that the House should not approve the budgets of all institutions whose chief executives refuse to come and defend their budgets,” Fulata said.

He said the House Committee on University Education, the various House Committees on Education, and the entire House of Representatives under the leadership of the Speaker, Abbas Tajudeen PhD, are determined and committed to ensuring uninterrupted academic activities in tertiary institutions, as well as improving the standard of education in Nigeria.