Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Gusau, Prof. Muazu Abubakar, has slammed the allegations that members of the House of Representatives Committee on University Education demanded N480m to approve federal universities’ 2025 budgets. Prof. Abubakar revealed that there were misleading allegations in most media outlets last week claiming that “stubborn vice-chancellor” believed to be him was quoted to have ignited the said unfounded allegation against the lawmakers.
In a letter dated January 27 and addressed to the committee’s chairman, Abubakar Fulata, the VC refuted media reports suggesting that lawmakers pressured vice-chancellors to pay N8m each as a condition for approving their allocations.
According to him, “The attention of the Federal University, Gusau, has been drawn to a trending online report titled Investigation: Nigerian Lawmakers Demand N480 million from Universities to Approve 2025 Budget.
“We categorically state that no member of the university team present at the budget defence was part of the information circulated in the media. We urge you, Mr. Chairman, and your esteemed committee members to disregard this malicious and sensational report, which aims to mislead the public and undermine constructive journalism.”
Abubakar commended the committee for its support, describing the budget defence session as “robust, friendly, and engaging.”
Similarly, Fulata had earlier dismissed the allegations at a press briefing, reiterating that the peddlers of the rumour were on a mission jus to discredit the committee’s efforts to enhance Nigeria’s education sector.
“It is absurd for anyone to suggest that lawmakers demanded even a ‘kobo’ as a precondition for approving budget proposals,” Fulata said, stressing that the report sought to mislead the public about the activities of the committee and the 10th House of Representatives.
Recall last Wednesday in a statement, the spokesman for the House, Akin Rotimi, described the media report as a deliberate attempt to smear lawmakers’ reputation.
Rotimi said, “The 10th House of Representatives is firmly committed to transparency, accountability, and the highest ethical standards in all its legislative activities. These values form the bedrock of our operations. It is, therefore, imperative to address the baseless and sensational allegations in the report, which appear to be part of a deliberate attempt to undermine the integrity of the House and erode public trust in this hallowed institution.”
Denying the media report, the House spokesman insisted that “lacks any diligent investigative effort as they would want people to believe, and instead, amplifies fabricated narratives by individuals seeking to evade accountability.”