The Nigeria University Supervisory Committee recently hosted the chairman of the committee, Abubakar Fulata, for an important visit to Abuja. This meeting is of particular importance for the stability of the academic calendar, according to remarks made by Abubakar Fulata during an interview with journalists after the Friday visit.
He stressed that this call became necessary in order to avoid disrupting the progress of the school year. As chairman of this commission, he recalled that this visit is part of the constitutional provisions giving legislators the power to exercise supervisory functions over ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to guarantee the compliance with the Appropriation Law.
Abubakar Fulata encouraged the management of the institution to judiciously use the funds allocated in accordance with the Appropriation Act 2024. He also urged them to seek other means of financing the university, rather than relying almost exclusively on public funds.
The outgoing Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah, expressed gratitude to the lawmakers for their visit and intervention in the dispute between the school management and ASUU. He commended the efforts of the committee which resulted in the withdrawal of universities from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) by the federal government.
This visit and this exchange underline the importance of transparency and accountability in the management of resources allocated to educational institutions. They also highlight the need to explore alternative sources of funding to ensure the smooth functioning and development of universities in Nigeria.