REPS FAULT ABSENCE OF TWO VICE CHANCELLORS DURING SOUTH-EAST OVERSIGHT VISITS
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By ‘Balogun Ibrahim
The House of Representatives Committee on University Education has expressed displeasure over the reported absence of two vice chancellors during its oversight visits to federal universities in the South-East.
The committee’s chairman, Abubakar Fulata, faulted the alleged absence of the Vice Chancellors of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Prof Ugochukwu Anyaehie, and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Prof Simon Ortuanya, during visits to the institutions on Friday.
He also criticised the universities for allegedly failing to provide their representatives with relevant documents detailing their recent administrative and financial activities for submission to the committee.
Fulata said the absence of the vice chancellors and the failure to present supporting documents hampered the committee’s efforts to obtain a comprehensive assessment of the institutions’ operations.
The chairman spoke during an oversight visit to federal universities in the South-East geopolitical zone to evaluate their performance and assess the implementation of the 2025 and 2026 Appropriation Acts.
He urged vice chancellors and university management teams to ensure the prudent and effective use of available resources, stressing that proper management of public funds was essential to the growth of the institutions and the country’s education sector.
Fulata explained that the exercise was part of the committee’s constitutional responsibility and would help lawmakers assess how funds allocated to the universities had been utilised before considering subsequent budget proposals.
He said, “Ordinarily, we should be in our various constituencies campaigning for our re-election in January 2027, but we have to leave our respective states to carry out this constitutional and mandatory responsibility of oversight.”
According to him, the visits would provide lawmakers with first-hand information on the financial and operational performance of the universities while helping them identify areas requiring government intervention.
He emphasised that the exercise was not intended to intimidate university administrators or victimise any institution but to promote accountability and ensure value for public expenditure.
Beyond the accountability concerns, the committee drew attention to the poor condition of the access road leading to the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, and appealed to the Imo State Government and the Federal Ministry of Works to urgently intervene.
The Vice Chancellor of FUTO, Prof Ikechukwu Dozie, informed the committee about the deteriorating state of the road connecting the university to neighbouring communities. He also raised concerns over alleged land encroachment affecting the institution and sought the committee’s intervention in securing the attention of relevant government agencies.
At Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Owerri, the Vice Chancellor, Prof Stella Lemchi, appealed for government assistance to address infrastructure and operational challenges following the institution’s transition to a federal university.
Lemchi highlighted the need for additional lecture halls and academic buildings, improved road networks, erosion control measures, reliable electricity and renewable energy facilities, as well as adequate accommodation for students and staff.
She also called for improved student welfare services and investment in medical and emergency facilities, including a functional university medical centre capable of responding effectively to emergencies.
Similarly, the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Allied Health Sciences, Enugu, Prof John Emiamo, said the institution urgently needed support to address shortages of personnel, medical and dental equipment, classrooms, auditoriums, laboratory buildings and equipment.
The committee also visited Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State; David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Uburu, Ebonyi State; and the National Institute for Nigerian Languages, Aba, Abia State.
The oversight exercise is expected to enable the committee to assess infrastructure, staffing, teaching and research facilities, as well as the implementation of budgetary allocations across the institutions.
Its findings are expected to guide the committee’s engagement with relevant government agencies and inform its consideration of future budgetary provisions for federal universities.
Efforts by The Media to obtain comments from Anyaehie and Ortuanya were unsuccessful, as calls and text messages sent to them had not been answered as of the time of filing this report.
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