A former House of Representatives member, Professor Haruna Yerima, has urged vice-chancellors of universities, rectors of polytechnics and provosts of colleges of education to resist intimidation and harassment by some members of the House of Representatives over the N683 billion 2024 TETFund allocation.
The former lawmaker was reacting to a story of alleged extortion by the House of Representatives Committee on Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and Other Services.
The administrators of the tertiary institutions have decried the “unwholesome overbearing influence” in internal matters of the institutions over the implementation of N683 billion allocated to the institutions under the TETFund scheme in 2024 by President Bola Tinubu.
Mr Yerima, a professor of Public Administration at the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, represented Biu, Shani, Kwaya and Bayo federal constituency in Borno state, from 2003 and 2007.
He said the attitude of the lawmakers towards the educational institutions administrators is portraying the legislature in a bad light.
“The purported attitude of some of the honourable members over the N683 billion TETFund allocation is, to say the least, dishonourable and unbecoming of the elected representatives of the people,” the ex-lawmaker who was a member of the education committee said.
Professor Yerima said the reported attitude of some of the lawmakers is “desecrating the hallow chambers of the National Assembly which is the leading symbol of democracy in the country.
“What the VCs, rectors, and provosts are complaining of is reminiscent of the ugly past where some lawmakers demanded money to pass the budgets of some ministries and agencies or screen some presidential appointees,” he said.
Professor Yerima recalled how in 2005 the Senate under Chief Adolphus Nwabara was rocked by a credibility crisis over the N55 million money-for-budget scandal, leading to the sack and subsequent prosecution of the then Minister of Education, Professor Fabian Osuji.
Earlier in 2003, he said, Mr Nasir El-Rufai had publicly accused Senators Ibrahim Mantu and Jonathan Zwangina of demanding a N50 million bribe to clear him as a minister.
“Years after these ugly incidents, it is unfortunate that some lawmakers would be hell-bent on reincarnating these terrible trends that portray the honourable members in a bad light. This must stop. The actions of a few committee members must not be allowed to soil the image of hundreds of other honest and patriotic lawmakers,” Professor Yerima said.
The former lawmaker also called on the VCs, rectors and provosts “to call the bluff of the erring lawmakers by resisting their corrupt overtures, intimidation and blackmail; by insisting on doing the right thing. “
“As university VCs, polytechnic rectors and COE provosts, you are duty-bound to do the right thing. You shouldn’t be cowed into submission by some erring lawmakers,” the former lawmaker said.
