By Precious Amadi
Rivers State House of Assembly Ad-hoc Committee investigating funds disbursed to PAMO University of Medical Sciences from 2017 to date has threatened to issue warrants of arrest against state officials and university administrators who fail to appear before it.
The warning was issued by the Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee and Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, Rt. Hon. Dumle Maol, following the absence of key invitees during the committee’s resumed hearing.
Those summoned included the Vice Chancellor of PAMO University, the Rivers State Accountant General, the Commissioner for Finance, the Commissioner for Education, and heads of other relevant state agencies. However, the Vice Chancellor, the Accountant General, and the Commissioner for Finance were conspicuously absent when proceedings commenced.
Expressing strong disappointment over their non-appearance, Maol directed the absent officials to appear in person before the committee on Thursday, September 24.
He cautioned that failure to comply with the rescheduled summons would leave the committee with no option but to invoke its full constitutional powers, including issuing arrest warrants to compel their attendance.
The Commissioner for Education, Peters Nwagor, was the only key government official present at the hearing.
The committee is currently examining the full disbursement and utilization of all state funds allocated to PAMO University of Medical Sciences from 2017 to the present.
