The Rivers State House of Assembly has threatened to issue warrants of arrest against government officials and the Vice-Chancellor of PAMO University of Medical Sciences (PUMS) over their failure to appear before a committee investigating funds released to the institution.
The warning was issued on Wednesday by the seven-member ad hoc committee, chaired by the Deputy Speaker, Dumle Maol, during its sitting in Port Harcourt.
The committee is investigating the financial relationship between the Rivers State Government and PAMO University from 2017 to date, including funds reportedly released for scholarship programmes for Rivers indigenes.
Those summoned to appear were the Vice-Chancellor of PAMO University, the Commissioner for Finance, the Accountant-General of Rivers State, the Commissioner for Education and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education.
However, the Vice-Chancellor, Commissioner for Finance and Accountant-General failed to attend the sitting. The Commissioner for Education, Dr Peter Nwagor, was present and responded to questions from the lawmakers.
Expressing disappointment over the absence of the officials, Maol directed them to appear before the committee on Thursday, September 24.
He warned that the Assembly would invoke its constitutional powers to compel their attendance if they failed to honour the fresh invitation, including the possibility of issuing warrants of arrest.
The committee is seeking clarification on the total amount released to PAMO University over the years, how the funds were disbursed and whether they were used for the purposes for which they were provided.
The probe followed questions raised by the Assembly over the proposed allocation of billions of naira to PAMO University in the 2026 state budget. The House had earlier removed more than N6 billion earmarked for the institution before the appropriation law was passed.
The development became another point of contention in the ongoing disagreement between the legislature and the executive over public spending.
The committee was subsequently constituted under Section 128 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, to examine the funding of PAMO University since its establishment.
Its terms of reference include determining the total amount released by the Rivers State Government to the university, assessing whether the funds were properly utilised and establishing the number and identities of beneficiaries under the scholarship programme.
The committee is expected to submit its report to the House on or before September 30, 2026.
Speaker Martin Amaewhule had directed the committee to conduct the investigation diligently and ensure that all relevant parties were given a fair hearing.
PAMO University was founded by former Rivers State Governor, Dr Peter Odili, who also serves as its Pro-Chancellor. The institution has received funding from the Rivers State Government over the years, including support linked to scholarship arrangements for Rivers indigenes.
Maol said the committee would not abandon the investigation because some of the invited officials failed to appear, stressing that the exercise was aimed at accounting for public funds released to the university.