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By Becky Usman

The Committee of Vice Chancellors of Federal Universities in Nigeria has strongly denied allegations of bribery made against members of the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee Investigating Job Racketeering and Mismanagement of the Integrated Personnel Payment Information System (IPPIS) in MDAs. They clarified their position during a hearing at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.

The allegations had claimed that members of the panel sought bribes from vice-chancellors and heads of tertiary institutions to influence the investigation. However, Prof Ishaya Tanko, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Jos, representing all other VCs, stated that they had never interacted with the panel members, received money, or been given account numbers for bribes. He emphasized their commitment to transparency and denied any conspiracy against lawmakers.

Tanko also highlighted the challenges faced by universities, such as staff shortages due to death and retirement without replacements. He called for legislative support to address these issues. Additionally, he noted accreditation problems in some universities, like the University of Jos.

Chairman of the panel, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, affirmed his commitment to fulfilling the committee’s mandate and investigating the bribery allegations thoroughly. He mentioned that he had contacted the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to probe the alleged account number used for bribery payments.

The acting Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Maiyaki Chris, emphasized the strong working relationship between universities and parliament.

Hon. Gagdi praised the professionalism of the online medium reporting the issue but expressed strong disapproval of the term “corrupt Committee” used in the publication, emphasizing the committee’s determination not to be influenced by blackmail in fulfilling its duties.