Some vice chancellors of Nigerian universities, rectors of polytechnics and provosts of colleges of education, have cried out over alleged extortion by the House of Representatives Committee on Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and Other Services.
They decried what they called “unwholesome overbearing
influence” in internal matters of the institutions.
The latest outcry came in respect of the planned
implementation of the 2024 approved normal intervention projects of TETfund in
federal and state universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
Some vice chancellors, rectors and provosts, as well as
bursars and accounting officers of the institutions, who spoke to Daily Trust
Saturday, alleged that extortion by the House Committee on TETFUND had been the
trend over the years, as members of the committee make life difficult for them.
One of the vice chancellors said the committee had taken the
alleged “intrusion” to another level.
He said, “Besides directing us to come with ‘Ghana Must Go’
bags of photocopied documents, we have been forced to pay money in order to get
a clean bill. I am not sure they are even reading the documents.
“It appears they (the legislators) are abusing the powers
the Nigerian constitution gives them,” he said.
Most of the officials who spoke to this newspaper pleaded
that their names should not be revealed for fear of being further blackmailed.
When reached out to the chairperson of the committee,
Princess Mariam Onuoha, for her reaction to the allegations, she simply sent
the phone number of the spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Akin
Rotimi, to respond.
When our reporter reminded her that the allegations bordered
directly on her committee and that it was important for her to react to the
issues, she simply replied via a text message, “When you are done with Hon Akin
on the matter then you would see there is no need for further engagement on a
mere invitation by a standing committee. Thank you very much.”
When our reporter called the House spokesperson, Akin and
explained that he was referred by the TETFUND committee chairperson, he
requested that the questions be sent to him for reaction.
The questions were sent to him on January 24, 2024 via
Whatsapp, and the message marked read, but he is yet to provide the reaction
despite reminders.
Many institutions under ‘scrutiny’
There are 53 federal universities, 63 state universities, 38
federal polytechnics, 49 state polytechnics and many federal and state colleges
of education, among other institutions.
Many of the institutions benefit from TETFund, which
mandates include providing essential physical infrastructure for teaching and
learning, instructional material and equipment, support for research and
publications, academic staff training and development.
Questionable oversight
BrandIconImage learnt that each TETFund benefitting
university, polytechnic or college of education is allegedly being asked to pay
N2million to facilitate the “verification” of the documents submitted to the
House committee.
The recent allegations are coming on the heels of letters
sent by the committee to the institutions across Nigeria, directing them not to
proceed with the implementation of the approved projects until they meet with
members of the committee.
President Bola Tinubu had approved over N683billion as 2024
allocation to beneficiary institutions under the TETFund scheme.
This was disclosed by the executive secretary of TETFund,
Sonny Echono, an architect, during the 2024 Strategic Planning Meeting held
with heads of the institutions in January 2024, at the Fund’s headquarters in
Abuja.
Speaking at the meeting, Echono said, “I am pleased to
inform you that Mr President has approved the 2024 disbursement guidelines in
the total sum of N683,429,268,402.64. From this total, 90.75 per cent is
budgeted for direct disbursement and 8.94 per cent for some designated special
projects. A stabilisation of 2.27 per cent is allowed to enable the Fund
respond to emerging issues.
“This is inclusive of the difference between actual
collections and the projections made for November and December 2023 collections
as requested and approved by Mr President.
“Based on this approval, each university will get, for the
2024 intervention cycle, the total amount of N1, 906,944,930.00. This comprises
N1, 656,944,930.00 as Annual Direct Disbursement and N250m as Zonal
Intervention. Similarly, each polytechnic will get N1,165,355,235.00 comprising
of N1,015,355,235.00 as Annual Direct Disbursement and N150m as Zonal
Intervention, while each college of education will get N1,398,426,282.00
comprising of N1,248,426,282.00 as Annual Direct Disbursement and N150 million
as Zonal Intervention.”
Echono charged heads of beneficiary institutions on early
implementation of their respective allocations.
He advised them to consult widely with their respective
communities in the implementation of TETFund projects, and also ensure timely
payments to contractors and vendors when due.
This, he said, would enable proper completion of projects
and mitigate the incidence of contractors writing letters of complaints to the
Fund.
However, the House committee has directed that no project
should be executed until the heads of the various institutions submitted
details of their implementation plans and also appear before a panel.
The committee, in a letter dated January 12,2024 and sent to
the secretary-general, Committee on Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities
(CVCNU), Prof Yakubu Ochefu, ordered stoppage of execution of TETFund projects
across the country for the 2024 intervention cycle.
The letter, with reference number NASS/HR/10/EDT/VOL4/237
and signed by the committee’s clerk, Gbolagun Isaiah Akinwunmi, requested all
universities to, among other things, submit drawings, designs and
specifications, procurement, among others, to the committee.
The communication directed that relevant documents be
submitted to the committee, on or before February 23, and that the heads of the
institutions are to appear before it on February 27, 2024.
“In accordance with the House committee’s statutory
oversight mandate on all public tertiary institutions in relation to the
implementation of all TETFund interventions and allocations, I am directed to
request your institution’s 2024 TETFund normal intervention implementation
details.
“You are requested to furnish the committee with the full
implementation details, including but not limited to the drawings, designs and
specifications for all projects procurement and services as contained in your
2024 TETFund Normal Intervention Allocation letter issued to your Institution.
“In view of the above, and sequel to section 80(3) of the
1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As amended) and the
Standing Orders of the House of Representatives, the House Committee on TETFund
and Other Services shall conduct further consideration of your submission to
ensure compliance with the Fund’s Guidelines and Establishment Act as part of
its oversight function. Kindly note that you are expected to stay action on
implementation processes until submission and appearance before the committee
is concluded,” the letter reads.
But the heads of the institutions lamented that the move
constituted a stumbling block to early implementation of TETFund projects.
Besides, they also view the move as a usurpation of the
powers of the governing councils of the various institutions and that of
TETFund, who have direct oversight of the institutions.
A vice chancellor of one of the federal universities said
the lawmakers were allegedly hiding under the guise of the exercise to extort
universities.
He said, “I must tell you that it is not in the interest of
the universities but their pockets.
“We all know what they want to do; it is to make money from
the institutions, if not, why ask us to go for verification or presentation of
our implementation details after the president has approved funds and TETFund
carried out their disbursement according to laid down rules?”
He alleged that lawmakers and some government agencies have
been extorting tertiary institutions through numerous visits in the name of
oversight.
“We have different committees visiting us from different
government agencies in the name of quality assurance, oversight visits, among
others; and during each visit, you are expected to part with a certain amount
of money. And to be honest, it makes leading the universities difficult.
“Every intervention is carried out with the approval of the
president, and follows due process as well.
“The federal government has to look into this and stop these
unnecessary visits. The universities are already crying to meet up with several
expenses like buying diesel and paying light (electricity) bills, among
others,” the VC said.
An accountant in one of the federal polytechnics described
the oversight function as “a racket.”
“There was a certain review before the latest invitation.
The committee asked us to photocopy all the documents and bring them in ‘Ghana
Must Go’ bags.
“I was really shocked when we arrived together with our
rector. They didn’t ask us to open the bags; they just asked the rector some
questions.
“Of course, they have been settled far ahead of time;
therefore, within the shortest time we were asked to leave,” the accountant
said.
What the law says
Meanwhile, we learnt that the TETFund guidelines on project
interventions have made it clear on how allocations are to be implemented.
A source said TETFund gives allocations, but the
institutions in turn propose their projects, which must be in tandem with their
needs.
He said the beneficiary institutions were always encouraged
to have a strategic plan for at least 10 years, indicating the kind of projects
the institution would like to undertake.
He said this was to avoid a situation where some
institutions or politicians would hijack or stop the projects initiated by
previous vice chancellors.
The source explained that TETFund projects are a continuous
process and no one would stop an ongoing project or embark on another without
finishing the one that has commenced.
Although TETFund declined to speak on the summons to the
heads of the tertiary institutions by the Reps committee, a copy of its
guidelines obtained by Daily Trust Saturday showed that there are well
specified rules already stipulated, which the institutions must meet in order
to access the funds to carry out projects or procurements.
Move will delay projects implementation
Meanwhile, the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-owned
Universities (COPSUN), in a statement issued on January 24 and signed by the
secretary of the committee, Suleiman Abubakar Mahdi, on behalf of the chairman,
lamented the directives of the House committee.
The statement, with ref number, COPSUN/PR/24/001 and titled
“Press statement on the directive to the vice chancellors of Nigerian
universities suspending the implementation of TETFund normal interventions,”
noted that the committee “is gravely concerned about this unprecedented
directive given at a time when the universities are in various stages of
procurement and the likely effect it will have on their budgetary
implementation processes.
“It should be noted that the governing councils of the
various state-owned universities are by law empowered to award or approve the
award of contracts after due procurement and are doing so in exercise of the
prerogative.
“With the greatest respect to the House committee, we feel
that their action is not an encroachment on the autonomy of the universities
but an infringement on the doctrine of the separation of powers, which has the
potential for conflict among the tiers and branches of government.
“The House committee may wish to be respectfully reminded
that the funds disbursed by TETFund belong to the states and are subject to
appropriation and exclusive oversight by the various states’ House of Assembly.
Therefore, the directive, even if valid, should not apply to the state-owned
universities.
“Furthermore, time is of essence in executing these
contracts, and with the upward trend in the dollar exchange rate with the
resultant inflation, this could ultimately increase cost,” the COPSUN stated.
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