Audit Query: House Directs NUC to Produce VCs Indicted for Unauthorised Budget Approvals

Udora Orizu in Abuja

The House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts yesterday directed the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abubakar Rasheed Adamu to produce before it all university Vice Chancellors indicted by the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation for unauthorised approval of budgets.

The Chairman of the Committee Hon. Wole 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 to be operating unapproved budgets over the years.

Oke, speaking shortly after the Vice Chancellor of the Adama Modibo, Federal University of Technology, Yola, Adamawa State, Prof. Abdullahi Leman Tukur made his presentation, said the action became necessary as the affected Vice Chancellors have refused to honour all the invitations extended to them.

He directed the Clerk of the committee to notify the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu about the development immediately.

The lawmaker urged Tukur to assist the Committee to advise his colleagues to honor summons, else the parliament would name, shame them in national dailies.

Oke said, “the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission 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 VC’s an opportunity of fair hearing, we are going to name them and shame them in the National Dailies, we have the power to issue warrant of arrest against then, they must account for public funds they collected.”