The Rivers State House of Assembly has issued an arrest warrant for the Vice Chancellor of PAMO University of Medical Sciences due to his repeated absence from an Adhoc Committee investigating the disbursement of scholarship funds. The committee, led by Deputy Leader Dumle Maol, had invited the VC multiple times to explain the utilization of funds released under a scholarship arrangement with the Rivers State Government.
According to the Assembly's report, PAMO University received over ₦29 billion from the Rivers State Government for the scholarship scheme, but the funds do not match the student enrolment figures. This discrepancy raised concerns about the utilization and accountability of the released funds. The committee's report, presented to the House, detailed financial transactions between the state government and the university, highlighting concerns over record discrepancies.
The Speaker of the House, Martin Chike Amaewhule, stated that the scholarship agreement was entered into with good intentions but expressed concern over implementation issues. He questioned discrepancies among documents submitted by government agencies, noting inconsistencies in accounting for the funds released to the university. Based on the Assembly's assessment, only about ₦5 billion of the ₦29 billion appeared to have been utilized.
The Assembly resolved to issue the arrest warrant for the Vice Chancellor, in line with the committee's recommendation. The House also urged the Rivers State Government to establish a funds recovery committee to identify and recover unaccounted funds allegedly in the possession of PAMO University. The recovered money would be returned to the state's Consolidated Revenue Account.
The committee's findings and the Assembly's resolutions followed earlier proceedings where officials connected to the scholarship arrangement were sought for explanations on fund disbursement and utilization. The House's action places the PAMO University Vice Chancellor at the center of the Assembly's enforcement of its investigation into the scholarship scheme.
Speaker Amaewhule reaffirmed the Assembly's determination to exercise its constitutional responsibilities, stressing that no individual could be bigger than the House as an institution empowered by the Constitution. The Assembly's action aims to establish accountability for the funds and address discrepancies in the records presented by government agencies.
The Rivers State House of Assembly's move is aimed at ensuring transparency and accountability in the management of public funds. The proposed recovery committee will be expected to trace and recover funds considered unaccounted for, while the arrest warrant for the Vice Chancellor underscores the Assembly's commitment to enforcing its investigation.
Key points
- The Rivers State House of Assembly has issued an arrest warrant for the Vice Chancellor of PAMO University of Medical Sciences over unaccounted ₦29 billion scholarship funds.
- The Assembly urges the Rivers State Government to establish a funds recovery committee to identify and recover unaccounted funds allegedly in the possession of PAMO University.
- Only about ₦5 billion of the ₦29 billion released to PAMO University appeared to have been utilized, according to the Assembly's assessment.
