Rivers Assembly Launches Sweeping Probe into State Grants and Scholarships to PAMO University

The Rivers State House of Assembly has initiated a comprehensive legislative inquiry into the volume, management, and disbursement of state resources allocated to PAMO University of Medical Sciences (PUMS) from its inception in 2017 to date. The decision, reached during plenary, marks a pivotal move toward scrutinizing long-standing public expenditure channeled into private medical education within the state.

Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule, constituted the investigative panel pursuant to Section 128 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), which empowers state legislatures to conduct inquiries into the disbursement of public funds and the execution of state-backed initiatives. According to an official statement issued by the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Hon. Enemi Alabo George, the inquiry is aimed at ensuring total fiscal transparency and institutional accountability.

Under its core terms of reference, the ad-hoc committee has been mandated to ascertain the exact quantum of public funds transferred to the university, verify whether such allocations were judiciously applied toward their designated purposes, and thoroughly review the state government's scholarship schemes. Crucially, the committee will cross-examine the official roster, determining the precise headcount and verifiable identities of all student beneficiaries who received state-funded sponsorships at the institution.

The seven-member fact-finding panel is chaired by Rt. Hon. Dumle Maol, with Hon. Silvanus Nwankwo, Hon. Lemchi Nyeche, Hon. Henrietta Loolo, Hon. Peter Abbey, Hon. Napoleon Ukalikpe, and Hon. Emilia Amadi appointed as members. The legislative committee has been given an extended oversight timeline, with a formal report expected to be laid before the floor of the House.