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The Rivers State House of Assembly has issued a warrant of arrest for the Vice Chancellor of PAMO University of Medical Sciences over his failure to appear before its Ad-hoc Committee investigating the state’s scholarship funds to the institution.
The resolution was reached on Friday during the Assembly’s 53rd Legislative Sitting following consideration of the report of the committee chaired by Rt. Hon. Dumle Maol.
The committee had invited the Vice Chancellor several times to explain the utilisation of funds released to the university under the state’s scholarship scheme, but he reportedly failed to honour the invitations.
The Assembly also urged the Rivers State Government to constitute a committee to recover all unaccounted funds in the possession of PAMO University and remit the recovered funds into the state’s Consolidated Revenue Account.
Presenting the committee’s report, Maol reportedly stated that the university had received more than N29 billion from the state government under the scholarship arrangement, with the committee raising concerns over the corresponding student enrolment.
The report formed the basis for the Assembly’s decision to compel the university’s Vice Chancellor to appear and provide explanations concerning the funds.
Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule, said the government’s intention in entering into the scholarship agreement was commendable, but expressed concerns over its implementation.
Amaewhule also questioned discrepancies in documents presented by the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Education and the Office of the Accountant-General regarding the funds released to the university.
He said the documents indicated that, out of the more than N29 billion released to PAMO University, only about N5 billion was utilised.
The Speaker reaffirmed the Assembly’s determination to exercise its constitutional oversight responsibilities, irrespective of the persons or institutions involved.
He stressed that no individual was above the institution of the legislature and said the Assembly would pursue the matter in accordance with its constitutional powers.
