The Rivers State House of Assembly has launched an inquiry into financial support provided by the state government to PAMO University of Medical Sciences since the institution was established in 2017.
The House has constituted a seven-member Ad-Hoc Committee to examine the funding history of the university and determine how state resources allocated to the institution have been managed over the years. The investigation is expected to establish the total amount released by the Rivers State Government and assess whether the funds were applied to the purposes for which they were approved.
The committee was constituted by the Speaker of the House, Martin Amaewhule, pursuant to Section 128 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended. The constitutional provision empowers the legislature to investigate matters connected with the administration or expenditure of funds appropriated by the legislature and other matters considered necessary in the public interest.
Committee to examine university funding
According to a statement signed by the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Enemi Alabo George, the Ad-Hoc Committee will undertake a detailed review of financial releases made to PAMO University from the time of its establishment.
A major part of the inquiry will be to determine precisely how much money the Rivers State Government has provided to the institution since 2017. Beyond establishing the amount released, the committee will examine whether the funds were used appropriately and in accordance with the purposes for which the government provided them.
The investigation therefore places the university’s relationship with the state government under legislative scrutiny, particularly in relation to public funds that have been committed to its activities since its establishment.
The committee will also examine the university’s scholarship arrangements. It is expected to determine whether beneficiaries have received scholarships through the scheme and, where applicable, establish the number and identities of those beneficiaries.
The scholarship component forms part of the broader issues the House wants the committee to investigate as it reviews the state’s financial involvement with the university.
Seven-member panel constituted
The Ad-Hoc Committee has seven members drawn from the Rivers State House of Assembly. Dumle Maol will serve as chairman of the committee.
Other members are Silvanus Nwankwo, Lemchi Nyeche, Henrietta Loolo, Peter Abbey, Napoleon Ukalikpe and Emilia Amadi.
The panel has been given a specific reporting deadline and is expected to submit its findings to the House on or before September 30, 2026.
Its report is expected to provide the House with findings on the volume of state funding provided to PAMO University, how the money was utilised and details relating to the institution’s scholarship beneficiaries, among other matters within the scope of the inquiry.
Probe follows dispute over 2026 allocation
The legislative investigation comes after the Rivers State House of Assembly decided not to approve a proposed N6 billion allocation to PAMO University in the state’s 2026 budget.
That decision provides the immediate backdrop to the latest inquiry into the university’s funding. Rather than approving the N6 billion provision, the House has now moved to examine the state’s financial commitments to the institution dating back to 2017.
The Ad-Hoc Committee’s mandate covers the period since the university’s establishment, meaning the investigation is not limited to the proposed 2026 allocation. Instead, lawmakers are seeking to establish the broader financial history of government support for the institution and determine how previous releases were utilised.
The committee will consequently be expected to trace the funds provided over the years and establish whether they were deployed for the objectives associated with the government’s financial support.
Scholarship beneficiaries also under scrutiny
In addition to examining government funding, lawmakers have specifically directed attention to PAMO University’s scholarship scheme.
The committee is expected to establish whether the state-supported university has operated a scholarship programme involving beneficiaries connected to government funding. Where such beneficiaries exist, the panel will determine their number and identities.
The inquiry could therefore provide the House with information on both the financial resources committed to the university and the people who may have benefited from its scholarship arrangements.
The findings will form part of the committee’s report to the House, which must be submitted by September 30, 2026.
House awaits findings
The investigation gives the Rivers State House of Assembly an opportunity to establish the financial record of government involvement with PAMO University since 2017.
The committee’s work is expected to focus on evidence concerning funds released by the state government, their intended purposes and how they were utilised. It will also address the scholarship component identified in the committee’s mandate.
Until the committee completes its work and submits its report, the questions surrounding the management and utilisation of the funds remain matters for investigation rather than established findings.
The outcome of the inquiry is expected to give lawmakers a clearer picture of the state’s financial relationship with PAMO University and provide the basis for any further decisions by the House regarding government funding of the institution.
With the September 30 deadline approaching, the seven-member panel will now be required to complete its investigation and present its findings to the Rivers State House of Assembly for consideration.
Rivers Assembly Opens Probe Into Government Funding of PAMO University
