Regarding its instruction to halt the execution of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) interventions , the House of Representatives has been accused of encroaching on university autonomy by the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities.
The vice chancellors noted that it was also an infringement on the doctrine of the separation of powers which they argued has the potential for conflict among the tiers and branches of government.
The committee reminded the House that the TETFUND’s disbursements are state-owned funds that are exclusively under the control of their respective state Houses of Assembly for allocation and oversight.
The Chairman, Suleiman Abubakar Mahdi, issued a statement in which they said that even in the event that the directive is valid, it should not apply to the state-owned universities.
Time was of the essence when it came to executing proposed contracts in the institutions, he continued, and this could ultimately lead to higher costs due to the upward trend in the dollar exchange rate and the resulting inflation.
The statement read in part: “The attention of the above Committee has been drawn to a letter from the House of Representatives Committee on TETFUND directing all Nigerian-owned universities to stay in action on the implementation of the 2024 normal TETFUND intervention.
“The Directive further required all universities to submit drawings, designs and specifications, procurement, etc to the committee.
“It should be noted that the Governing Councils of the various state-owned universities are by Law empowered to award or approve the award of contracts after due procurement processes and are doing so in exercise of the executive prerogative.
“With the greatest respect to the House Committee, we feel that their action is not only an encroachment on the autonomy of the universities but an infringement on the doctrine of the separation of powers which has the potential for conflict among the tiers and branches of government.
“The House Committee may wish to be respectfully reminded that the funds disbursed by TETFUND belong to the states and are subject to appropriation and exclusive oversight by the various states’ Houses of Assembly.
“Therefore, the directive even if valid, should not apply to the state-owned universities” he said.