The Rivers State House of Assembly has summoned the Vice-Chancellor of PAMO University of Medical Sciences, Port Harcourt, alongside key state government officials, to appear before an ad hoc committee investigating scholarship funds previously released to the institution.
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Also invited are the Rivers State Accountant-General, the Commissioner for Education, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education and other officials considered relevant to the inquiry.
The officials are expected to appear before the committee on September 16, 2026, as the House seeks to establish how much public money has been released to the university since its inception and whether the funds were utilised for the purposes for which they were approved.
The summons comes barely two weeks after the Assembly removed a proposed ₦6 billion scholarship grant to PAMO University from the state’s over ₦1.8 trillion 2026 budget.
During Monday’s plenary, the House said the investigation and summons were being conducted pursuant to Sections 128 and 129 of the 1999 Constitution, which empower a House of Assembly to conduct investigations and summon persons to give evidence or produce documents relevant to its legislative responsibilities.
Speaker of the House, Martin Amaewhule, who presided over the sitting, warned those invited to honour the summons and cooperate with the committee.
Amaewhule said the Assembly wanted to determine whether previous funds allocated to PAMO University were properly utilised and stressed that the House had a constitutional duty to investigate matters involving the use of public funds.
The development followed the presentation of a preliminary report by the House Ad Hoc Committee investigating scholarship funds released to the university.
According to a statement by the Special Assistant on Media to the Speaker, Martins Wachukwu, the committee informed the House that invitation letters had already been sent to the Vice-Chancellor, the Ministry of Education and other relevant parties.
Presenting the preliminary report, the committee Chairman and Deputy Speaker, Dumle Maol, said the panel had taken the necessary preliminary steps and was awaiting the appearance of those invited.
“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,” Maol said.
Commenting on the report, Amaewhule directed the committee to treat the assignment seriously while ensuring that all persons concerned are given a fair hearing.
He said the House has constitutional authority to summon individuals to give evidence and produce documents that may assist its investigation in the public interest.
The Assembly had earlier, acting on the recommendation of its Appropriation Committee, expunged the proposed ₦6 billion scholarship allocation to PAMO University from the 2026 Appropriation Law.
It subsequently constituted the ad hoc committee to investigate the total amount of scholarship funds disbursed to the institution since its establishment and determine how the funds were applied.
The Assembly has not, at this stage, made any finding of wrongdoing against PAMO University or any of the officials summoned, as the inquiry remains ongoing.
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