The House of Representatives, on Wednesday, described as misleading reports that lawmakers demanded bribes from vice-chancellors of federal universities to approve their 2025 budget allocations.
In a statement by its spokesman, Akin Rotimi, he described the media report as a deliberate attempt to mar its reputation.
Rotimi stated, “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.”
Refuting the media report, the spokesman stated that it “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 their 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 was already in the public domain.
“The House encourages 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, to independently investigate any claim of impropriety.”
Rotimi also stated that baseless allegations and media sensationalism will not distract lawmakers from their constitutional mandate “to ensure accountability, good governance, and the welfare of Nigerians.”
