The House of Representatives Committee on University Education has summoned Professor Carol Arinze-Umobi, the Acting Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) in Awka, Anambra State, over allegations of poor project execution and violations of financial regulations.
This decision was announced by the committee’s chairman, Hon. Abubakar Hassan Fulata, following the committee’s oversight visit to UNIZIK. He emphasized that while the lawmakers are not targeting anyone for political reasons, they cannot ignore issues that impede progress in the nation’s universities.
During the visit, the committee noted significant discrepancies between the data provided in the university’s submitted documents and the actual state of project execution. One of the major concerns was the university’s claim of generating ₦1.5 billion in internal revenue in the previous year, yet reporting expenditures amounting to ₦3 billion from the same revenue source.
The committee condemned the expenditure of funds without proper parliamentary appropriation, describing it as a gross violation of the constitution. They also criticized the presentation of fabricated figures, which they argued undermines the integrity of the university’s management team.
Hon. Kalejaiye Paul, a member of the committee, highlighted the importance of the oversight visit, pointing out that many Nigerians believe that government agencies would perform better if legislators diligently fulfilled their roles in fund appropriation and oversight. He stressed that there would be no justification for approving additional funds for any government organization if previously allocated funds were mismanaged.
The committee expressed particular concern over the school’s practice of making 100% payments for projects that are less than 40% complete, viewing this as a clear violation of financial regulations. As a result of these observed discrepancies and infractions, the lawmakers ruled that Acting Vice Chancellor Prof. Carol Arinze-Umobi must appear before them at the National Assembly with the relevant documents for further legislative action.
