The Rivers State House of Assembly has set up an ad-hoc committee to inquire into the funding of PAMO University of Medical Sciences (PUMS), Port Harcourt.
The Assembly disclosed this move in a statement signed by the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Hon. Enemi Alabo George.
This came hours after the Assembly approved the 2026 Appropriation Bill of N1.8trillion and the budget subsequently signed into law by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The Assembly had expunged N6 billion meant for funding scholarships in the university before approving the budget.
Former Governor Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, began funding the university in 2017. The incumbent governor, Fubara, continued in that direction.
But the Assembly said its committee would probe the disbursement of funds, said to be in the region of N6 billion, were expended.
The ad-hoc committee headed by Hon. Dumle Maol is mandated to submit its report to the House before the end of September 2026.
George said: “In line with section 128 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule has constituted an ad-hoc committee to conduct an inquiry into Rivers State Government’s disbursement of funds to PAMO University of Medical Sciences (PUMS).
“The committee has been mandated to unravel how much funds the University has received from the Rivers State Government since inception in 2017; determine whether such funds were adequately utilized for purposes they were meant for and ascertain the number as well as identities of all scholarship scheme beneficiaries if any, amongst other things.”