Reps Warn Federal Universities Against Mismanagement of Public Funds

The House of Representatives Committee on University Education has urged vice-chancellors and management teams of federal universities to ensure prudent and effective utilisation of available resources, stressing the need for accountability in managing public funds.

The committee said proper management of government allocations was essential to the development of universities and the country’s education sector.

The Chairman of the committee, Abubakar Fulata, gave the warning on Friday during an oversight visit to federal universities in the South-East geopolitical zone to assess their performance and implementation of the 2025 and 2026 Appropriation Acts.

Fulata said the exercise was part of the committee’s constitutional responsibility to examine how public funds had been spent before considering subsequent budget proposals.

He explained that the visits would give lawmakers first-hand information about the financial and operational performance of the institutions and help identify areas requiring government intervention.

“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,” he said.

The committee chairman stressed that the exercise was not intended to intimidate university administrators or target any institution but to ensure accountability and value for public expenditure. However, he expressed displeasure over the absence of the vice-chancellors of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Professor Ugochukwu Anyaehie, and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Professor Simon Ortuanya, during the visits.

He also criticised the two institutions for failing to provide their representatives with relevant documents detailing recent administrative and financial activities. According to him, the absence of the vice-chancellors and supporting records made it difficult for the committee to obtain a comprehensive account of their operations.

The committee also raised concerns about the poor condition of the access road leading to the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, and called on the state government and the Federal Ministry of Works to address the problem. FUTO Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ikechukwu Dozie, also drew attention to land encroachment affecting the university and appealed for government intervention.

At Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Owerri, Vice-Chancellor Professor Stella Lemchi sought government support to address infrastructure and operational challenges following the institution’s transition to a federal university. She listed the need for additional lecture halls, academic buildings, improved roads, erosion control, reliable electricity and adequate accommodation for students and staff.

Lemchi also called for better student welfare services and investment in medical and emergency facilities, including a functional university medical centre. Similarly, the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Allied Health Sciences, Enugu, Professor John Emiamo, identified shortages of personnel, medical and dental equipment, classrooms, auditoriums and laboratory facilities as pressing challenges.

Other institutions visited included Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, and David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, both in Ebonyi State, as well as the National Institute for Nigerian Languages in Aba, Abia State.

The oversight exercise is expected to help the committee assess infrastructure, staffing, teaching and research facilities, and the implementation of budgetary allocations across the institutions. Its findings will inform further engagements with relevant government agencies and consideration of future funding for federal universities.