PAMO University of Medical Sciences has threatened legal action against Rivers State House of Assembly Speaker Martin Amaewhule over statements the institution describes as defamatory.
The university gave the Speaker 24 hours to retract the remarks and issue an apology.
The dispute centers on a proposed N6 billion allocation to the university in the 2026 Rivers State budget and questions raised by lawmakers about previous state funding.
Through its counsel Ayodeji Adedipe, SAN, the university alleged that Amaewhule accused it of lacking transparency in the management of public funds and failing to account properly for allocations received over the years.
The statements were allegedly made during the presentation of the 2026 Appropriation Act to Governor Siminalayi Fubara for assent.
PAMO University denied the claims and said it had never been invited by the House of Assembly to defend its use of funds under the Rivers State scholarship scheme.
The institution maintained that money received had been applied for the educational purposes for which it was provided.
It said the remarks attributed to the Speaker had damaged its reputation and created the impression that it had mismanaged or diverted public funds.
Those issues remain disputed and have not been determined by a court or final legislative inquiry.
The university’s lawyers warned that legal proceedings would commence if the demanded retraction and apology were not issued within the stipulated period.
Separately, the Rivers State House of Assembly has established a seven-member ad hoc committee to investigate state funding to the university since 2017.
The committee is chaired by Dumle Maol and has been asked to determine how much the institution received, whether the funds were used for their intended purposes, and the number and identities of scholarship beneficiaries.
The committee is expected to submit its report on or before September 30, 2026.
The inquiry means the questions raised by lawmakers remain under investigation, and no final finding has yet been made against the university.
