REJOINDER:

REJOINDER: NO GOVERNING COUNCIL IN PLACE - ALLEGATION AGAINST DR. YAKUBU DASHE GUNYA OVER N 1.56B CONTRACTS WITHOUT APPROVAL MISCHIEVOUS AND FACTUALLY INCORRECT.

The attention of the National Veterinary Research Institute,Vom has been drawn to a publication by Secrets Reporter titled "Federal College in Plateau spent N 1.56 billion on contracts without Governing Council approval on 30/10/2026 alleging that the Executive Director CEO of the National Veterinary Research Institute Vom,Dr. Yakubu Dashe Gunya, awarded contracts worth N 1. 56 billion without the Governing Council.

We wish to categorically state that the report is false, misleading, and clear misrepresentation of facts.

For The Records:

1.The National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) is not a college:

Dr. Dashe Yakubu Gunya was appointed the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the National Veterinary Research Institute and not a Provost of any Federal College or institution.

2.There is No Governing Council in place:

The last Governing Council of the Institute was inaugurated over six (6) years ago,long before the appointment of Dr. Dashe Gunya  as Executive Director CEO of the National Veterinary Research Institute Vom. Since the dissolution of that Council,no new Council has been constituted by the Federal Government. The question of bypassing Council therefore, does not arise. In the absence of Council,all approvals are routed through the Parastatals Tenders Board and Ministerial Tenders Board.

3.Dr. Gunya is Only three Months in Office:

Dr. Dashe Yakubu Gunya assumed office as Executive Director CEO about three months ago. It is, therefore, practically impossible and logically incorrect to attribute contracts worth N 1.56 billion to his nascent administration. No contracts of such magnitude have been awarded under his leadership.

4.The contracts in question predate this administration:

The contracts being referenced,if at all,fall within the period of previous administrations and under different approving authorities. Any attempt to link them to Dr. Gunya is a calculated attempt to tarnish his reputation.

5.On Financial Prudence:

Dr. Dashe Yakubu Gunya since assumption of office has been focused on repositioning the Institute for its core mandate of research, vaccine production, disease surveillance and manpower development, with prudent management of public funds and strict adherence to transparency and due process. Our books are audited by external auditors and the office of the Auditor General of the Federal.

We, therefore, urge the publishers of Secrets Reporter to adhere to the ethics of journalism by verifying facts before publication, and we demand a retraction of this defamatory report.

We also urge the general public to disregard any insinuation of financial impropriety and assure our supervisory ministry,ARCN,our stakeholders, and our host community that the Institute under the stewardship of Dr. Dashe remains committed to accountability and welcomes any lawful oversight by the National Assembly and anti corruption agencies to any lawful scrutiny as our records are intact and verifiable.

Signed:

Wumbuet Charles

Press and Protocol

For: Executive Director/CEO

 NVRI,Vom

31st October, 2026