The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on University Education, Hon. Abubakar Hassan Fulata, has refuted claims that lawmakers demanded money to approve the 2025 education budget.
Speaking to journalists, Fulata said he chose to address the claims to prevent misleading the public, describing the accusation as baseless and aimed at discrediting the efforts of the House to enhance education standards in Nigeria.
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“The allegation is unfounded and designed to undermine the hard work of the House, particularly my committee,” he stated.
Fulata highlighted the House’s advocacy for removing tertiary institutions from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), which President Bola Tinubu eventually approved. According to him, “IPPIS is anti-intellectual, anti-academics, and retrogressive.”
He further disclosed that the House had passed a resolution urging the President to constitute governing councils for universities and other tertiary institutions, which had been without councils for nearly a year. Shortly afterward, the councils were constituted.
Providing insights into the committee’s oversight activities in 2024, Fulata noted visits to federal universities except the Federal University Gusau, whose vice-chancellor allegedly obstructed access to the institution and failed to provide necessary budget documents. “The oversight visits aimed to assess the progress and challenges faced by the universities,” he explained.
He also pointed out the financial strain on universities caused by high electricity tariffs. “Some universities were paying about N100 million monthly for electricity. We moved a motion, and the President approved a 50% subsidy on electricity tariffs for tertiary institutions and hospitals,” Fulata said.
Clarifying claims that budget meetings were delayed, Fulata stated that the meeting with the National Universities Commission and vice-chancellors occurred on January 15, 2025, during the Armed Forces Remembrance Day. He emphasized that the session was open to the public and media, with no closed-door meetings.
Rejecting allegations of financial demands, Fulata said, “It is ridiculous for anyone to claim that I demanded a kobo as a condition to approve the budget.” He stressed that if the President could present the budget before the National Assembly, heads of MDAs and university administrators should have no excuse for not defending their proposals.
Fulata also accused some universities, including the University of Lagos and University of Ibadan, of attempting to blackmail the committee after failing to defend their budgets. He revealed that these institutions were indicted by the Auditor-General for financial irregularities and had refused to appear before the House Committee on Public Accounts.
The lawmaker assured Nigerians that the House, under the leadership of Speaker Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, is committed to ensuring uninterrupted academic activities and improving the quality of education in the country.
He concluded by urging media practitioners to verify information before publication, emphasizing the importance of accurate reporting in fostering public trust.
