By ERICJAMES OCHIGBO

The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on University Education, Rep. Abubakar Fulata (APC-Jigawa), has dismissed media reports alleging that lawmakers demanded N480 million as condition for approving some varsities? 2025 budgets.

Addressing newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja, Fulata said that the allegation was designed to undermine the efforts of the committee to improve the standard of education in the country.

He said that his reaction to the allegation was to avoid misleading the general public about the activities of the committee and the 10th House of Representatives.

The lawmaker said it was ridiculous for anyone or group to suggest that lawmakers were demanding for a ?kobo? as condition for approving budget proposal.

Fulata, who listed some plans by the house to improve learning conditions in the universities, said some university managements were avoiding giving their account of stewardship.

He said that the committee had, in 2024, carried out oversight visits to all federal universities under its supervision, except Federal University, Gusau, Zamfara.

Fulata alleged that the institution?s authorities did not only block the legislators from accessing the school but also failed to provide documents regarding budget performances for 2022 and 2024 as well as the 2025 budget proposal.

He said that if President Bola Tinubu could find time to present the Federal Government?s budget to the National Assembly, there was no reason for any vice-chancellors not to come and defend his university?s budget proposal.

?Instead, they (vice-chancellors) have resorted to blackmail, smear campaigns and sponsorship of public outcry against the committee.

?The committee has placed the matter before the leadership of the house, insisting that the house should not approve the budgets of all institutions whose chief executives refused to come and defend their budgets,? Fulata said.

He appealed to media practitioners to always cross-check the pieces of information at their disposal before disseminating them.

The lawmaker said that the committee and the entire house were committed to ensuring uninterrupted academic activities in tertiary institutions and improve on the standard of education in Nigeria. (NAN)

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