NUC, VCs dismiss bribery allegations against reps panel as ICPC begins probe

The National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Federal Universities (CVCNU) in the country Friday denied allegations of offering bribes to members of the House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating job racketeering in federal agencies.

The University of Jos VC, Prof Ishaya Tanko, who spoke on behalf of the VCs when they appeared before the committee in Abuja yesterday, said contrary to a report published by an online medium, there was no case of bribery as alleged.

He said, “During our last meeting, we requested two weeks because some of the universities did not come with some of the documents required from them.

“But we read the very disturbing media publication, and I can say that the vice chancellors are not part of that. The vice chancellors have not provided any bribe to anybody.

“What I recall happened was that the next day there was a workshop for the vice-chancellors, and because there is another international workshop organised for CVCNU, I recall that a number of people were looking for estacode in the form of foreign exchange that will enable them to travel.

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“Somebody suggested a gentleman and that vice-chancellors who wished to source foreign exchange from him could transfer some money to him to get foreign exchange to travel.

“To say that vice chancellors are transferring money for bribes is completely out of context and not true. Whoever made the publication refused to find out the fact before going to press.”

The acting Executive Secretary of NUC, John Maiyaki, said the publication on the bribery allegation was regrettable, noting that the NUC had confidence in the mandate given to the committee to help in resolving some crisis in the education sector regarding job racketeering.

Chairman of the committee, Yusuf Adamu Gagdi, said the committee had resolved that it would not be distracted “from the central issue we were put in place to address.”

ICPC begins probe

Meanwhile, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) said it had launched a probe into the petitions submitted to it over job racketeering in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

Spokesperson of the anti-graft agency, Azuka Ogugua, who confirmed this to journalists yesterday that an online media organisation, PREMIUM TIMES, submitted one of the petitions, said said the commission received another petition from the Chairman of the House of Representatives ad hoc Committee on the Investigation of Job Racketeering and Gross Mismanagement in MDAs, Yusuf Gagdi.

She said, “The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has commenced investigation into petitions received from Premium Times and Hon Yusuf Adamu Gagdi, Chairman of the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee on the Investigation of Job Racketeering and Gross Mismanagement in Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) over bribery allegations against the probe panel.”