The Rivers State House of Assembly has urged the state government to set up a fund recovery committee to recover over N24 billion unaccounted funds out of the N29 billion disbursed to PAMO University of Medical Sciences for the scholarship of Rivers State indigenes.
The Assembly reached the resolution following deliberations on the findings and recommendations of the ad-hoc committee set up to investigate funds received by the institution since 2017.
The House also expressed dismay over the refusal of the university’s Vice-Chancellor to appear before the committee, demanding that a warrant of arrest be issued to compel his appearance to answer questions regarding transparency, admissions, and financial accountability.
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Addressing the house, the Speaker clarified that the investigation was neither a witch-hunt nor a political vendetta, but a necessary response following the university’s request for an increase in funding from N6 billion to N8 billion.
Presenting the report, the Committee Chairman and Deputy Speaker, Dumle Maol, highlighted several irregularities, which includes the Vice-Chancellor’s refusal to appear before the committee, discrepancies in the origin and local government areas of admitted beneficiaries, noting that the state government is operating at a loss and recommended discontinuing further funding to the private institution and suggesting that such resources be redirected to the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the Rivers State University.
The committee also blamed the Ministry of Education for failing to monitor the scholarship programme.
Following debates on the findings and recommendations of the committee, which includes; issuing a warrant of arrest against the Vice-Chancellor, creating a recovery committee for unaccounted funds, and ensuring that current Rivers State scholarship beneficiaries at PAMO University are allowed to complete their studies, on the floor of the house.
The speaker put their resolution to a voice vote, and seven key recommendations were adopted.
With the day’s business concluded, the House adjourned plenary to September 28, 2026, to deliberate on proposed constitutional amendments forwarded by the National Assembly.
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(Editor: Ebuwa Omo-Osagie)
