Rivers Assembly issues arrest warrant for PAMO University VC over N29bn scholarship funds

The Rivers State House of Assembly has issued a warrant of arrest for the Vice-Chancellor of PAMO University of Medical Sciences, Professor Smith Jaja, following his failure to appear before its ad-hoc committee investigating the state’s scholarship funds allocated to the institution.

The resolution was reached on Friday during the Assembly’s 53rd legislative sitting after lawmakers considered the committee’s report, which was chaired by Deputy Speaker Rt. Hon. Dumle Maol.

According to the committee, the Vice-Chancellor was invited on multiple occasions to explain the utilization of funds disbursed to the university under the state’s scholarship scheme but repeatedly failed to honor the summons.

The Assembly urged the Rivers State Government to constitute a committee to recover all unaccounted funds in the possession of PAMO University and remit them into the State’s Consolidated Revenue Account.

Presenting the report, Maol stated that PAMO University had received more than ₦29 billion from the state government under the scholarship arrangement, raising serious concerns regarding the corresponding student enrollment figures.

Ruling on the matter, Speaker of the House Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule described the government’s initial intention behind the scholarship agreement as commendable but expressed deep concern over its implementation.

He highlighted discrepancies among documents presented by the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Education, and the Office of the Accountant-General regarding the released funds.

According to the Speaker, official records indicated that out of more than ₦29 billion released to PAMO University, only about ₦5 billion had been accounted for.

Reaffirming the Assembly’s determination to exercise its constitutional oversight responsibilities, Amaewhule stressed that no individual or institution is above the legislature and vowed that the House would pursue the matter using its full constitutional powers.

Meanwhile, PAMO University has reportedly filed a suit at the High Court challenging the Rivers State House of Assembly’s statutory authority to oversee its financial activities as a private institution.