Rivers Assembly, varsity lawyer clash over N28bn funds

A clash has emerged between the Rivers State Assembly and the university's lawyer over the allocation of N28bn funds to the PAMO University of Medical Sciences. The controversy arose after the Assembly rejected N6bn from the 2026 budget for scholarships to state-origin students studying medicine at the institution. The Assembly claims the university's management has been opaque in managing the funds since 2017, leading to a committee investigation chaired by the Deputy Speaker, Dumle Maol.

The university's lawyer, Chukwuma Chinwo, argues that the Assembly has exceeded its powers as it did not allocate any funds to the institution. He cites the absence of appropriated funds for PAMO University as evidence, stating the scholarship money is akin to a father training his child in university. The Assembly maintains its constitutional right to conduct an inquiry, citing sections 128 and 129 of the 1999 Constitution and contradictory financial records from the Ministry of Finance and Education.