The member representing Degema/Bonny Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Cyril Hart, has commented on the ongoing dispute between the Rivers State House of Assembly and PAMO University of Medical Sciences over funds released under the state's scholarship programme. Hart emphasized that the university's private ownership does not shield it from scrutiny when public funds are involved. He made this statement on his verified Facebook page, reacting to the Rivers Assembly's investigation into funding received by PAMO University.
The Rivers Assembly had constituted a seven-member ad hoc committee to examine funds disbursed to PAMO University by the Rivers State Government since 2017. The committee, led by Deputy Speaker Dumle Maol, aims to establish how the money was utilized and identify beneficiaries of the scholarship programme. The investigation has generated tension between the legislature and the university, with the Assembly recently ordering the arrest of PAMO University's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Smith Jaja, for failing to appear before the committee.
According to the Assembly's report, PAMO University received over N29 billion from the Rivers State Government under the scholarship arrangement. The House questioned the relationship between the amount released and the number of students enrolled under the programme. Speaker Martin Amaewhule also raised concerns about discrepancies in financial documents presented by government agencies during the investigation. The Assembly recommended that the state government establish a mechanism to recover any unaccounted funds and return them to the state's Consolidated Revenue Account.
Hart approached the matter from the standpoint of legislative powers to investigate the use of public resources. He referred to Sections 1 and 2 of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, 2017, which provides protection for legislators over statements made during plenary or committee proceedings and gives legislative houses powers to summon persons and request information relevant to an investigation. Hart argued that the powers of a legislative house to conduct an inquiry are not limited to government ministries, departments, and agencies.
The lawmaker pointed out that the powers also cover individuals, companies, and private institutions where the subject of an investigation concerns public money or matters within the legislature's oversight responsibility. He cited previous investigations by the National Assembly, in which private companies were invited to answer questions concerning government funds and programmes. Hart emphasized that a private organization's status does not prevent lawmakers from asking questions where public resources are involved.
The disagreement has also centered on the nature of the scholarship arrangement between the Rivers State Government and PAMO University. PAMO University has maintained that it is a private university and disputed the Assembly's description of how the scholarship funds were handled. The university claimed that it had attempted to engage with the committee but alleged that its representative was not recognized when he appeared before the panel on September 16.
Cyril Hart has now called for the disagreement to be resolved through available legislative and legal processes. He urged PAMO University to avoid further escalation and engage with the committee, exploring internal mechanisms to resolve the conflict and cooperate with the lawful legislative process. The Rivers Assembly's probe followed its decision to remove a proposed N6 billion allocation for PAMO University from the Rivers State 2026 budget, which was subsequently approved.
Key points
- The Rivers State House of Assembly has ordered the arrest of PAMO University's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Smith Jaja, for failing to appear before the committee investigating funds released under the state's scholarship programme.
- PAMO University received over N29 billion from the Rivers State Government under the scholarship arrangement, sparking concerns about the utilization of public funds.
- Lawmaker Cyril Hart emphasized that the university's private ownership does not shield it from scrutiny when public funds are involved.
