The House of Representatives has addressed recent allegations made by PREMIUM TIMES, claiming that some lawmakers are extorting bribes from Vice-Chancellors to approve the 2025 budget allocations for federal universities. In a statement, the House firmly rejected the accusations, describing them as baseless and an attempt to undermine the institution’s integrity.
The House reiterated its commitment to transparency and accountability, highlighting the constitutionally guided and open budget process for 2025. President Bola Tinubu’s budget proposal has been scrutinised in public sessions, with heads of ministries and agencies appearing before committees for detailed budget defence. The House expressed concern, however, over some university heads failing to attend these sessions, raising questions about their governance practices.
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The statement also criticised certain federal tertiary institutions for ignoring audit queries from the Office of the Auditor-General and evading legislative oversight. Allegations of misconduct, including abuse of office and sexual harassment, are also being investigated by the House Committee on University Education following troubling findings from recent oversight visits.
The House has urged the public and media to report credible evidence of misconduct to relevant authorities, including the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges. It also accused PREMIUM TIMES of publishing sensational stories without proper investigation or seeking the House’s comment before the story’s release, calling on media outlets to uphold journalistic integrity and professionalism.
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