N29bn Scholarship: Why PUMS VC Can’t Honour Assembly invitation, Says Registrar

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The PAMO University of Medical Sciences has explained why its vice-chancellor cannot appear before the Rivers State House of Assembly’s Ad-Hoc Committee investigating the state government’s scholarship arrangement with the institution, describing the exercise as politically motivated.
The university said it had initially demonstrated its willingness to cooperate with the investigation by sending a representative before the committee on September 16, but alleged that the panel refused to recognise the representative or receive documents submitted on behalf of the institution.
The position of the university was contained in a public notice signed by the Registrar, Peter Akubuiroh
“We attempted to cooperate with the committee by sending an official representative on September 16. However, the committee refused to recognise the representative or accept the documentation presented on behalf of the university”, PUMS said.
It accused the assembly of prejudging the university by publicly alleging mismanagement of scholarship funds before establishing the facts.
“The House of Assembly had already publicly accused the university of mismanaging state scholarship funds without proof. Our demands for a retraction and apology have not been addressed.”
The university said the circumstances surrounding the probe raised concerns about the purpose and conduct of the investigation, prompting the institution to seek legal protection.
On the scholarship arrangement, PAMO maintained that it has fulfilled its obligations under the Memorandum of Understanding governing the programme.
“PAMO University of Medical Sciences is a private institution. Accordingly, neither the Rivers State Government nor the House of Assembly appropriates money directly to it.”
It explained that funds appropriated for the scholarship scheme were channelled through the Rivers State Ministry of Education and other relevant government agencies to meet the state’s obligations to eligible students.
“In practical terms, the state government sponsors eligible students by paying fees that would otherwise be paid by their parents or other sponsors,” the university stated.
It added that the scholarship arrangement covers tuition, feeding and accommodation for Rivers State indigenes admitted to the university on merit, adding that beneficiaries had been trained in Medicine and Surgery, Nursing Science, Medical Laboratory Science, Radiography, Pharmacology, Physiology, Anatomy and Biochemistry.
The university further stated that about 600 current Rivers State scholarship beneficiaries are enrolled at the institution, warning that the dispute could disrupt their academic programmes.
“For the past four months, the university has continued to keep these students on campus despite outstanding school-fee payments, bearing the costs of their tuition, feeding, accommodation and related expenses.”
The university’s explanation came after the state Assembly issued a warrant for the arrest of its vice-chancellor over his alleged repeated failure to honour invitations to appear before the committee.
The assembly, during its 53rd Legislative Sitting, considered the report of the Ad Hoc Committee investigating the disbursement of scholarship funds to the university and subsequently issued a warrant of arrest for the VC.
The resolutions were contained in a statement issued by Martins Wachukwu, Special Assistant on Media to the Speaker of the House.
The committee, chaired by the Deputy Leader of the House, Dumle Maol, was said to have summoned the vice-chancellor several times to explain the utilisation of funds released under the scholarship arrangement.
The ad- hoc committee said the university received more than N29 billion from the state government under the scheme, alleging that the funds released did not correspond with the number of students enrolled, thereby raising questions about their utilisation and accountability.