Reps probe 9 universities, summon UNILAG VC over alleged N7.1bn discrepancy

The House of Representatives has queried an alleged N7.1bn excess in the financial records of the University of Lagos, directing its Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, to appear before its committee and explain the discrepancy.

The House Committee on University Education also ordered nine other federal tertiary institutions to review their financial records and submit comprehensive reports on their 2024, 2025 and 2026 budget implementation following an oversight exercise across the South-West.

The committee chairman, Abubakar Fulata, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday after the lawmakers visited universities and inter-university centres in the zone.

Fulata said the exercise exposed inconsistencies in financial records, inadequate transparency and possible violations of approved budgetary provisions in some institutions.

He questioned how universities could report internally generated revenue and expenditure figures that failed to reconcile.

“In some cases, the documents submitted contradict each other. You claimed to have generated N9bn and spent N10bn — where did you get the N1bn from?” he queried.

The lawmaker cited another instance where an institution reportedly declared N12bn in revenue but accounted for only N8bn in expenditure without explaining the balance.

“In another instance, you will see N12bn generated as income and only N8bn spent, without any information regarding the whereabouts of the balance of N4bn,” he said.

Specifically, the committee directed Ogunsola to provide details of UNILAG's budgets for 2024, 2025 and 2026 and appear before it next week to address the alleged N7.1bn excess in the institution's financial records.

The Vice-Chancellor was unavailable during the committee's visit, while officials who represented her reportedly failed to provide satisfactory explanations for the discrepancy in the university's 2024 and 2025 financial records.

Other institutions directed to update their financial records and submit comprehensive budget implementation reports included Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife; Federal University Oye-Ekiti; Federal University of Technology, Akure; and Federal University of Health Sciences, Ila-Orangun.

The committee also visited the University of Ibadan; Adeyemi Federal University of Education, Ondo; Federal University of Agriculture and Development Studies, Iragbiji; Federal University of Technology and Environmental Studies, Iyin-Ekiti; and the Nigeria French Language Village, Badagry.

Fulata urged vice-chancellors and their management teams to ensure transparency and accountability in managing government allocations and internally generated revenue.

He stressed that public institutions must account for all funds received and ensure that expenditure complied with approved budgetary provisions.

The committee chairman acknowledged that lawmakers would face political demands ahead of the 2027 general elections but insisted that such activities would not distract the National Assembly from its constitutional oversight responsibilities.

He said no sector of the economy should suffer neglect because of political engagements.

The committee also urged university authorities to observe the federal character principle in staff recruitment and student admissions to promote fairness and equitable representation.

It said the oversight exercise was intended to strengthen accountability, monitor budget implementation and ensure that public funds were used for their approved purposes.