Job Racketeering : NUC, VCs Also Deny Bribery Allegation

The National Universities Commission, NUC, and Committee of Vice Chancellors (VCs) have also denied the rumoured bribery and extortion allegations against the House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee probing job racketeering and mismanagement of IPPIS in MDAs.

An online medium, had in an investigation Reported how some members of the panel had asked Vice Chancellors of Universities and heads of tertiary institutions to pay certain amount of money as bribe into a bank account in order to give them a soft landing.

The Acting Executive Secretary, NUC, Professor, Chris Maiyaki and Vice Chancellor of the University of Jos, Professor Isiah Tanko denied the allegation as reported by an online medium when they jointly appeared before the committee in Abuja.

Speaking on the issue, the Acting NUC Executive Secretary described the report as baseless and untrue.

Also speaking the Chairman of the Committee of Vice Chancellors, Professor Lilian Salami Who was representated by the Vice Chancellor of University of Jos, Professor Isaiah Tanko said the VCs were not part of the allegation.

”We all dispersed from the committee investigative hearing as soon as we finished the last time we appeared before you,” he said.

Prof. Mayaki explained that more than five programmes of the University of Jos were in danger of being dis-accredited because of lack of manpower.

The Chairman of the Adhoc Committee, Yusuf Gagdi, noted that the publication was sponsored to divert the attention of the members from finding out the deep rooted evil that existed in the public sector.

“”The investigating authorities like the ICPC and EFCC have been given the mandate to investigate those allegations and the account number,” he said.

Earlier, Rectors of Federal Polytechnics in the country had also denied the rumoured allegations that they were asked to give bribe by members of the committee.

The chairman of the Committee of Federal Polytechnics’ Rectors, Dr. Yahaya Mohammed who spoke on behalf of the polytechnic rectors present at the resumed imvestigative hearing said they had at no time interfaced with any member of the panel and also denied being given any account number to pay bribes as alleged.

Oduyemi Odumade, Edited By Grace Namiji