According to media reports, the University of Jos (UNIJOS) spent about N50 million in just three days to host a lavish Association of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (AVCNU) conference, but the institution is struggling to raise revenues to clear a backlog of salaries it owes teachers of the university staff school, investigations have shown. The sum of about N50 million was expended on feeding, accommodation, and other logistics, according to sources.
The university management said the institution had a budgetary allocation of N20 million approved by its Governing Council, while other undisclosed funds came as contributions from other stakeholders including the Plateau State government.
The university Bursar, Mr. Ibrahim Alhassan, denied, in a telephone interview, that UNIJOS expended N50 million on the 143 VCs, but declined to state the amount spent. He confirmed the sum of N20 million allocated for the event from the institution, and other funds contributions from other stakeholders.
“The conference was not entirely sponsored by the university. Stakeholders; we had sponsors from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), and other organisations (took part in the sponsorship). The Plateau State government sponsored too. It is totally wrong to say the university squandered N50 million. I cannot tell you now how much was spent…but we have the budget provision of N20 million as the university contribution which was approved by council,” Alhassan said.