State varsities protest House of Reps’ decision to halt N683bn TETFund intervention

The House of Representatives Committee on Tertiary Education Trust Fund, or TETFund, decided to stop the 2024 TETFund investment in state-owned universities. This decision has been met with protests from the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities, or COPSUN.
The decision was described as extraordinary in a press release signed by the committee’s secretary, Suleiman Abubakar Mahdi, on behalf of the chairman.
According to Mahdi, the House Committee’s decision violates the theory of the separation of powers and may spark confrontation between the various branches and levels of government.
It should be mentioned that the executive prerogative to award or authorize contracts after proper procurement procedures has been granted to the Governing Councils of the several state-owned universities by law.
It may be courteous to remind the House Committee that the TETFund’s disbursements are state-owned monies, subject to appropriation and sole scrutiny by the respective Houses of Assembly in each state.
Therefore, even if the order were lawful, state-owned universities should not be covered by it.
Time is of the essence when carrying out these contracts, and expenses could eventually rise as a result of inflation caused by the dollar’s increasing trend in exchange rate, the statement added.
In addition, the statement urged the Committee to reevaluate the decision and permit more consultations.