The controversy over the Rivers State Government’s funding of PAMO University of Medical Sciences (PUMS), Port Harcourt, has taken a new turn, with the State House of Assembly opening an investigation into billions of naira allegedly disbursed to the private medical university since 2017.
The probe comes against the backdrop of the Assembly’s controversial removal of a N6 billion provision for PAMO from the state’s 2026 budget, a decision that has raised questions over the fate of hundreds of Rivers State students said to be benefiting from the institution’s scholarship scheme.
At the heart of the dispute is a simple but fundamental question: How much has the Rivers State Government given PAMO Medical University over the years, and what happened to the money?
But PAMO, in its response to the controversy, has raised another question: Why was the university allegedly denied an opportunity to explain or account for the funds before the Assembly took the decision to remove the 2026 allocation?
The unfolding dispute has therefore moved beyond the N6 billion budgetary provision to a broader examination of the financial dealings between the state government and the private university.
In a statement issued by the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Enemi Alabo George, the Speaker, Martin Chike Amaewhule, constituted a seven-member ad-hoc committee to conduct an inquiry into the Rivers State Government’s disbursement of funds to PUMS.
The Assembly said the action was taken pursuant to Section 128 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which empowers the legislature to conduct investigations into matters within its legislative competence and into the administration or expenditure of funds appropriated by the legislature.
Among other things, it is expected to determine how much PUMS has received from the Rivers State Government since 2017, whether the funds were used for the purposes for which they were released, and the number and identities of beneficiaries of the scholarship scheme.
The committee is chaired by Dumle Maol.
Its other members are Hon. Silvanus Nwankwo, Lemchi Nyeche, Henrietta Loolo, Peter Abbey, Napoleon Ukalikpe and Emilia Amadi.
The committee has been mandated to submit its report to the House on or before September 30, 2026.
The Assembly’s decision appears to have been triggered by concerns over the university’s alleged failure to account for previous financial support from the state.
The Speaker had argued that the university had not satisfactorily accounted for funds provided by the government for the sponsorship of Rivers State medical students.
The university reportedly contended that it had not been invited by the House to explain how the funds were utilised. It also questioned whether the Assembly had undertaken any formal oversight visit to the institution to verify its records and scholarship beneficiaries.
PAMO’s position introduces a significant dimension to the controversy: whether the issue is one of financial accountability, or whether the university was denied due process before being accused of failing to account for public funds.
The immediate casualty of the dispute is the N6 billion provision previously earmarked for PAMO in the state’s 2026 budget.
The allocation was intended to support the education of Rivers State students at the private medical institution under the state’s scholarship arrangement.
Its removal has triggered concern among parents and students who fear that an institutional dispute between the Assembly and the university could ultimately disrupt the academic careers of beneficiaries who had no role in the controversy.
For parents who have already invested heavily in their children’s education, the prospect of students being unable to continue their medical training because of a funding dispute is particularly troubling.
The issue is even more sensitive because medical education is expensive, and transferring students midway through their programmes to other institutions may not be straightforward.
The Assembly’s new investigation could now settle some of the competing claims.
The committee will have to establish the precise amount released to PAMO since 2017, the legal and administrative basis for each disbursement, the number of students sponsored, the amount spent on each beneficiary and whether the funds were applied strictly for the purposes approved by the government.
It may also have to examine the records of students who allegedly benefited from the scheme and determine whether they are still enrolled at PAMO.
More importantly, the investigation could reveal whether proper mechanisms existed for monitoring the use of the funds in the first place.
If the state government released billions of naira over several years without adequate monitoring, the controversy may point to a broader weakness in public financial oversight.
Conversely, if PAMO is able to produce convincing records showing that the funds were properly utilised, the university could have a strong basis to challenge the allegation that it failed to account for the money.
As the committee begins its work, attention will be focused not only on the figures but also on the evidence: the total amount paid to PAMO; the identities and number of scholarship beneficiaries be made public; and whether the N6 billion allocation will be restored.
Emmanuel Obe
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