Illegal Budgets Approval: Reps direct Commission to summon Vice Chancellors

The Public Accounts Committee, PAC, of the House of Representatives on Wednesday directed the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC) Professor Abubakar Rasheed Adamu to produce before it all the Vice Chancellors whose Universities were indicted by the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation over illegal approval of budgets and extra-Constitutional expenditures over the years

The Chairman of the Committee, Busayo Oke, gave the directive at the resumed hearing of the ongoing investigations of over 100 Ministries, Departments and Agencies MDAs of the Federal Government alleged by the Auditor General of the Federation to be Operating illegal budgets and  extra-constitutional expenditures over the years

Oke while speaking shortly after the Vice Chancellor of the Adama Modibo,  Federal University of Technology, Yola, Adamawa State, Prof Abdullahi Leman Tukur made his presentation before the Committee, said that the action became necessary as the affected  Vice Chancellors had refused to honour all the invitations extended to them without any justification

He directed the Clerk of the committee to notify the Minister of Education about the development Immediately

“The Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, NUC  is hereby directed to bring the affected Vice Chancellors before this honourable Committee to speak to the Audit queries raised against their Universities, enough of this ignoble act, why are they avoiding the Parliament, it means they have something to hide. The Committee is trying to give the affected Vice Chancellors an opportunity for a fair hearing, we are going to name them and shame them in the National Dailies, we have the power to issue warrants of arrest against them, and they must account for public funds they collected.” Ole said.

He urged Prof  Tukur to assist the Committee to educate his colleagues is making themselves to appear before the Committee based on his experience during his own appearance, saying that the committee was not out to harass them.

The Vice Chancellors are  being expected to appear before the Committee with the following documents; “Copies of the budgetary estimates the Commission presented to the Mr President through the Budget Office of the Federation with respect to the 2015 to 2022 fiscal year. Copies of the budget estimate that was presented to the Mr President which in turn presented to the National Assembly and Confirmation on whether the Constitutionally laid down process was complied with prior to expenditures from the Internally Generated Revenue by the Commission with documentary evidence. Approved Budget (both Appropriation and IGR 2021 and 2022) amongst others.”

Prof Tukur who Commended the Committee for its good work promised to talk to his Colleagues on the need for them to do the needful

PIAK