The Rivers State House of Assembly has threatened to invoke a warrant of arrest against the Vice-Chancellor of PAMO University of Medical Sciences, the Commissioner for Finance and the State Accountant-General.
This followed the failure of the three to appear before the house’s ad hoc committee conducting an inquiry into the use of scholarship funds disbursed to PAMO University of Medical Sciences from 2017 to date.
The Martin Amaewhule-led Assembly had, during debates on the 2026 Appropriation Bill presented to it by Governor Siminalayi Fubara, flagged a proposed N6 billion scholarship grant meant for PAMO University.
The Assembly questioned the use of earlier grants made to the university and sought clarification on how such grants had benefited the state. It suspended approval of the proposed N6 billion grant pending such clarification.
In line with this, the Assembly thereafter set up an ad hoc committee to investigate the use of earlier grants, from 2017 to date, made to the university.
Dumle Maol, chairman of the Ad hoc committee and deputy speaker of the state assembly, on Wednesday expressed sadness at the vice-chancellor, commissioner and accountant general’s failure to honour the invitation.
He asked that they appear on Thursday, September 24, 2026, in person before the committee and noted that the committee would rely on relevant sections of the constitution to invoke a warrant of arrest if they failed to appear on the said date.
Peters Nwagor, Commissioner for Education, was, however, present at the meeting.
PAMO University is believed to be associated with Peter Odili, former governor of Rivers State. Some persons in the state have described the Assembly’s probe into grants meant for the university as ‘political’.