Some senators from the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) have allegedly revealed how the monies obtained from universities and other tertiary institutions to pass their 2025 budgets were shared.
Despite the National Assembly’s denial of extorting universities, some lawmakers have informed Premium Times that they received $1,000 as “appreciation money” but were unaware of its source until the aforementioned publication made a report exposing the ongoing corruption.
The aforementioned publication earlier reported how the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND, along with the House Committee on University Education, demanded ₦8 million from each federal university in the country. The investigation revealed that lawmakers collected ₦480 million from university heads and threatened to “deal” with vice-chancellors who refused to cooperate.
“In the Senate, many senators belonging to the committee each received $1,000 as “appreciation money.” One source, who spoke anonymously, said most committee members were unaware of the scheme and received the money in envelopes without knowing the source.
“Members do not have enough information about what is happening. They only receive pittances in envelopes, referred to as ‘appreciation money’ from agencies,” the source added.
Another lawmaker corroborated that disclosure, adding that while many lawmakers see such payments as usual, some refuse to accept them. The source named two senators from Sokoto and Lagos, who do not partake in the sharing of money.
The aforementioned publication also claimed that another set of committees of the National Assembly has collected ₦528 million from 66 polytechnics and colleges of education to pass the budgets of these institutions.