Bribery Scam: Reps Ask ICPC To Probe Owner Of Account Number Used To Extort University VCs

• Polytechnics Rectors deny involvement in bribery allegations

The House of Representatives on Thursday resolved to involve the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the owner of the bank account allegedly being used to extort Vice Chancellors of Federal Universities.

Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee investigating job racketeering and mismanagement of the Integrated Personnel Payment Information System (IPPIS) by Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, disclosed this during the resumed investigative hearing.

He said: “I have already written to the ICPC to investigate that account number that was published by Premium Times; the owner of that account and whether there is any transaction by Vice Chancellors, Rectors of Polytechnics and leaders of Tertiary Institutions in the country.”

Gagdi also threatened that the committee would take legal action against the online medium over the publication which he said was to “blackmail and discredit” members of the Ad-hoc Committee.

While responding to question on the allegation, Chairman of the Committee of Federal Polytechnics’ Rectors (CFPR), Engineer Yahaya Mohammed refuted allegations that they were asked to give bribes to members of the House of Representatives’ Ad-hoc Committee investigating alleged job racketeering and mismanagement of the IPPIS by the MDAs.

Engineer Mohammed who spoke on behalf of the Polytechnic Rectors said the Rectors had at no time interfaced with any member of the Ad-hoc Committee.

Engineer Mohammed who distanced the Rectors from all the allegations also denied being given any account number to pay bribes as alleged in the media report.

Engineer Mohammed, who is also the Rector of Federal Polytechnic, Kaura Namoda, Zamfara State, said this when chairman of the adhoc committee, Gagdi asked him to speak on the allegations of bribery and extortion leveled against members of the Ad-hoc Committee.

He said: “This is our first time interfacing with the committee. All of us came into Abuja yesterday. Chairman, we are not in receipt of any account number or account name by any member of this committee. I will say under oath that we have not received any account number from any member of this committee.”

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Recall that an online medium had in an investigation reported how some members of the Ad-hoc Committee had allegedly asked Vice Chancellors of Federal Universities and heads of Tertiary Institutions to pay a certain amount of money as bribes into a bank account in order to give them a soft landing.

Members of the committee were also reported to have been engaging in extortion of money from heads of MDAs.