The House of Representatives has dismissed claims that some federal lawmakers demanded bribes from Vice-Chancellors of Federal Universities to approve their 2025 budget allocations, describing the report as false and misleading.

In a statement issued yesterday, the spokesman for the House, Akin Rotimi, said the publication was a deliberate attempt to tarnish the reputation of the legislature.

“The 10th House of Representatives is firmly committed to transparency, accountability, and the highest ethical standards in all its legislative activities. These values form the bedrock of our operations. It is, therefore, imperative to address the baseless and sensational allegations in the report, which appear to be part of a deliberate attempt to undermine the integrity of the House and erode public trust in this hallowed institution,” the statement read in part.

Rotimi explained that the budget process follows a constitutionally guided and transparent procedure, emphasizing that the 2025 Appropriation Bill was presented by President Bola Tinubu before a Joint Session of the National Assembly in the presence of key government officials and the public.

He further noted that some Vice-Chancellors had failed to appear for their budget defence sessions, despite being constitutionally required.

“This disregard for the legislative process not only impedes legislative oversight and undermines the principles of accountability but also demonstrates a lack of respect for the parliament and the Nigerian people.

“Furthermore, it is a matter of public record that some of these institutions have pending audit queries from the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation and have consistently failed to appear before the House Committee on Public Accounts to clarify these issues. This evasion raises concerns about their governance practices and financial stewardship,” he added.

Rotimi also accused some university administrators of attempting to evade scrutiny by making baseless allegations.

He noted that recent oversight visits by the House Committee on University Education had uncovered troubling governance practices in certain institutions, adding that preliminary findings pointed to serious malfeasance requiring thorough investigation.

While commending university administrators who have complied with due process, the House said the actions of a few attempting to evade accountability would not go unnoticed.

The statement also took a swipe at the news platform that published the bribery allegations, accusing it of failing to uphold journalistic ethics.

“The news platform has failed to uphold the principles of balanced journalism. The report in question lacks any diligent investigative effort as they would want people to believe, and instead amplifies fabricated narratives by individuals seeking to evade accountability.

“Unfortunately, the medium, which has become the preferred outlet for such baseless sensationalism, did not seek a reaction from the House Spokesman before publishing the story, undermining its credibility and professionalism. A reaction was only requested on Monday, two days after the story had already gone public,” the statement read.

The House urged anyone with credible evidence of misconduct to present it to the appropriate authorities, including the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges or anti-corruption agencies like the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.

Reiterating its commitment to transparency and good governance, the House said it would not be distracted by baseless allegations.

“We call on all stakeholders, particularly the media, to approach their responsibilities with integrity, professionalism, and a commitment to nation-building. Together, we can strengthen our democracy and promote a more accountable and transparent governance system,” it added.

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, was in Oyo State on yesterday, to commiserate with the State Governor, Engr Seyi Makinde, over the demise of his Elder Brother, Engr Sunday Makinde.

Governor Fubara was on the trip with the Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, on behalf of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum.

Speaking at the visit, Chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum and Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed, said they were in Oyo to condole with him and his family over the loss of Engr Sunday Makinde.

Senator Mohammed, who described the demise of Engr Makinde as a huge devastation to the family, however, urged the Oyo Governor to take consolation in the fact that all mortals will one day return to God, noting that his Elder Brother while on earth, contributed his quota to the growth and development of the country and left indelible footprints in the sands of time.

He said, “Your Excellency, we are here on behalf of the PDP Governors’ Forum to commiserate with you, to condole you over the loss of your elder Brother, Engr Sunday Makinde. We saw the news in the media, and we spoke on the phone, but in our tradition in Africa, we have to come to show you solidarity.

“We know the devastation is huge. We know you to be a strong character, strong person, you will bear all these losses. As a man of God, you know we are all here temporarily. We will all go back to our Creator. That is why we are consoled that your brother gave us a good name and for the country before he retired meritoriously. So, you should be consoled that this man came and conquered and contributed positively to the growth and development of Nigeria.”

The Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, admonished Governor Makinde to see the demise as one of life’s irreparable losses, and bear it with courage, just as he assured him of the PDP Governors’ support, and prayed God to grant the soul of the deceased eternal rest in His bosom.

He added, “So, on behalf of my colleagues, especially my brother who had had to come from Rivers to Bauchi to pick me, that shows how important you are. We have come to commiserate with you and the family, and say please, take this as one of those irreparable losses, and exercise patience and have the courage to bear it.

“Please, don’t be left with any doubt that we are with you. May God give our brother a repose in the bossom in the Lord. May you as a family and siblings have mercy from God so that they can even do better than what you have done, including us,” he noted.

Responding, Oyo State Governor, Engr Seyi Makinde, noted how painful the death of his elder brother, Engr Sunday Makinde, was to the family at the age of 65 after retirement, as he was expected to settle down and enjoy life.

He described the demise as sudden, as according to him, his brother fell from the bathroom, but could not be revived by doctors, saying they cannot question God, but have taken to heart that He is the giver and receiver of life.

He added, “We thought our elder brother is just about to start life because he was just 65. We thought after going all over the world and settling down, this is the time for him to take some rest. But we cannot question God. We have to accept that God giveth and taketh without asking from anybody any form of validation.

“It is also painful for us because it was quite sudden. He fell in the bathroom and was rushed to the hospital, but they couldn’t revive him.”

Governor Makinde thanked the PDP Governors for the visit, which he noted, meant a lot to his family, and prayed God to grant the family members long life on earth before answering the clarion call of God.

He said, “But this visit means a lot to us. So, I want to also on behalf of the people and Government of Oyo State, thank you for the visit. Our prayer is that we don’t want to use this kind of visit as a payback. I pray that in our various families, people will grow old before God calls them back.”

The Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has emerged the new chairman of the South-South Governors Forum..
Senator Diri was elected on Tuesday during the forum’s meeting in Government House, Yenagoa, the state capital.
This is even as Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu, clinched the position of vice chairman of the forum.
While the Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, moved the motion nominating Diri, his Rivers State counterpart, Siminalayi Fubara, seconded it.
Responding, Sen Diri said his emergence as chairman was a call to higher service and promised to serve the forum and the region diligently, saying it was not an office for him alone but a collective task for all governors of the South-South to move the region forward.
The Bayelsa State helmsman stated that the forum would go beyond issuing communiques to taking action in critical issues that affect the region’s development.
“Working together, we’ve all resolved that our region will not fail. We’ve seen other regions working while our region was quiet”, Gov. Diri said.
In his opening address, Gov. Diri stated that the objectives of the forum include fostering greater synergy among states of the zone and advancing regional investments in critical sectors such as security, agriculture, education, power, environment, tourism, and youth empowerment through sports, ICT and entrepreneurship.
He said it had become imperative to speak with one voice in view of the swiftly changing landscape of the country and the world at large.
According to him, leveraging the strengths and resources of each member state, they could design and implement targeted initiatives that foster sustainable development and prosperity.
He identified South-South regional flight connection as one area of collaboration to ease air travel within the zone.
In their remarks, Governors Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Senator Bassey Otu (Cross River), Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta) and Siminalayi Fubara (Rivers) appreciated Sen. Diri for hosting the meeting and for setting the tone for states to have action plans and delivery timetable on issues agreed on.
They noted that the meeting was long overdue and that it was expedient for states in the region to work together to forge a buoyant economy outside of oil and gas.
The States Chief Executives also stated that speaking in one voice would send the right signal that the region deserved the necessary attention from the federal government.
According to them, previous meetings, particularly under the auspices of the BRACED (Bayelsa Rivers Akwa Ibom Cross River Edo and Delta) Commission had not yielded the necessary results and prayed that the new direction under Sen Diri would open a new vista for the region while urging forum members to put political affiliations aside to enable them achieve their objectives.
In a communique read by Governor Diri, the governors expressed support for the ongoing tax reforms of the President Bola Tinubu administration, but however urged the president to extend the proposed VAT sharing to other areas of derivation like oil and gas.
The Governors argued that the law on oil derivation prescribed a minimum of 13 per cent and that the federal government should consider also increasing the amount on oil derivation to states of the region.
The forum also appreciated the president for the award and commencement of the coastal road project but demanded that it equally commence from the Calabar axis as it would not only enhance connectivity but also stimulate economic development in the region.
While thanking President Tinubu for the ongoing work on the East-West Road, the governors stressed that work should be expedited to ensure early completion.
Other areas the South South governors called for the intervention of the federal government included the extension of the ongoing remediation of Ogoni land to other polluted environments in the region, just as the forum expressed its readiness to establish a robust and structured security network to enhance security of the region.
Highpoint of the meeting was the celebration of the birthday of the Rivers governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, who turned 50 on Tuesday, January 28, 2025.

Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa