Rivers Assembly Summons PAMO University VC Over Scholarship Funds
The Rivers State House of Assembly has summoned the Vice-Chancellor of PAMO University of Medical Sciences, Port Harcourt, to appear before an ad hoc committee investigating the management and utilisation of scholarship funds provided to the institution by the state government.
The Vice-Chancellor is scheduled to appear before the committee on Wednesday, September 16, alongside senior officials of the Rivers State Government.
Also invited are the State Accountant General, the Commissioner for Education and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education.
The lawmakers want the officials to give a detailed account of funds released to PAMO University under the scholarship arrangement and explain how the money was utilised.
The summons followed the submission of a preliminary report by the ad hoc committee set up to investigate government funding of the university.
The report was presented during the 44th legislative sitting of the Rivers State House of Assembly on Monday.
The committee told the House that invitation letters had already been issued to the Vice-Chancellor, officials of the Ministry of Education and other persons connected to the investigation.
The probe comes after the Assembly removed a proposed N6 billion allocation for PAMO University from the Rivers State 2026 Appropriation Law, as previously reported.
The N6 billion provision had been included in the budget proposal presented by Governor Siminalayi Fubara before lawmakers reviewed and amended the document.
Following the adjustments, the Assembly approved a 2026 budget of approximately N1.84 trillion.
Questions were subsequently raised over the proposed funding for the privately owned university, as well as the accountability of money previously released by the state government under the scholarship programme.
The Assembly therefore resolved to examine the financial dealings between the Rivers State Government and PAMO University before approving any further releases.
The investigation extends beyond the N6 billion allocation proposed for the 2026 fiscal year.
The ad hoc committee is also expected to examine payments made to PAMO University from the commencement of the scholarship arrangement.
According to the terms of the inquiry, the committee will determine the total amount released by the Rivers State Government, the purposes for which the funds were approved and whether the money was ultimately applied to those purposes.
The lawmakers will also seek to establish the number of students who benefited from the scholarship scheme and identify the beneficiaries.
Presenting the committee’s preliminary findings, its chairman and Deputy Speaker of the House, Dumle Maol, said the necessary procedures had been followed ahead of the commencement of the investigation.
Maol said, “In line with the provisions of Sections 128 and 129 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, and other extant laws, the Committee has done the needful, and it is awaiting the appearance of those invited.”
The constitutional provisions referenced by the committee provide the state legislature with investigative powers concerning the administration of public funds and government affairs.
The Rivers State House of Assembly said the purpose of the investigation is to establish the facts surrounding the scholarship payments and determine whether public funds were properly accounted for.
Speaker Martin Amaewhule, who presided over Monday’s sitting, directed the ad hoc committee to carry out a comprehensive investigation.
The Speaker also emphasised the need for all parties connected to the matter to be given an opportunity to present their accounts.
Amaewhule said the Assembly has the constitutional power to invite individuals and request information and documents considered relevant to its investigation.
He further warned those summoned to comply with the invitation.
The Speaker said the investigation would help determine whether funds previously released to PAMO University were used for the purposes for which they had been approved.
PAMO University of Medical Sciences was established in Port Harcourt in 2017. The Rivers State Government later became involved in providing scholarship opportunities for indigenes of the state studying at the institution.
State budget documents in previous years have also contained provisions relating to scholarships for Rivers students at PAMO University.
However, the current Assembly has questioned the continued allocation of substantial public funds to the privately owned institution without first establishing how earlier disbursements were managed.
The House had earlier removed the proposed N6 billion PAMO University allocation while reviewing the 2026 Rivers State budget.
The decision was followed by the establishment of the ad hoc committee to trace the financial history of the scholarship programme and examine previous government payments.
The investigation is taking place as Rivers State operates under a 2026 budget exceeding N1.8 trillion.
Also Read: Fubara Signs Rivers State N1.84 Trillion 2026 Appropriation Bill Into Law
Governor Siminalayi Fubara initially presented an estimated N1.854 trillion budget to the Assembly in July.
The proposed budget, titled “Budget of Resilience for Growth and Development,” prioritised areas including infrastructure, education, healthcare and other government expenditures.
The final 2026 appropriation was subsequently reviewed and adjusted by the lawmakers before passage.
