2025 Budget Controversy: Universities Accused Of Paying Bribes To Lawmakers For Funding Approval

A recent report has exposed a bribery scheme allegedly orchestrated by some lawmakers in the National Assembly, targeting federal universities and other higher education institutions across the country.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

According to Premium Times, lawmakers are reportedly using threats and intimidation to force university leaders into paying ₦8 million each to secure approval for their allocations in the 2025 budget.

The extortion plot allegedly involves both senators and members of the House of Representatives, who are leveraging their positions on the Senate Committee on Tertiary Education and TETFund, as well as the House Committee on University Education, to demand bribes from universities in exchange for budget approvals.

The lawmakers have established a complex system, requiring 60 vice chancellors of federal universities to each pay ₦8 million—₦4 million to the Senate and ₦4 million to the House Committees. The lawmakers are reportedly seeking ₦480 million from the extorted universities, with two vice chancellors from the North Central and North West zones tasked with coordinating the payments discreetly.

Sources reveal that the scheme was set in motion by the House Committee, led by Hassan Fulata (APC, Jigawa), during a meeting on January 16 with some vice chancellors. Although the meeting was initially set for 10 a.m., it was delayed until 3 p.m. due to discussions behind closed doors between lawmakers and certain vice chancellors.

An anonymous source revealed that the lawmakers made their demands clear, criticizing some vice chancellors for not complying as readily as other institutions. At one point, the meeting became more heated, with committee members allegedly using threats and humiliation to coerce the vice chancellors into agreeing to the payments.