The High Court of Rivers State, sitting in Port Harcourt and presided over by Justice Mark Chukwu, has declined an application for an interim order against the Rivers State House of Assembly.

PAMO University of Medical Sciences, a private university based in Port Harcourt, is challenging the powers of the Rivers State House of Assembly to probe the affairs of the school.

The Rivers State Government, through the State Ministry of Education, had sponsored hundreds of Rivers State students on scholarship in the university, and the funds are included in the state’s appropriation bill.

But during the presentation of the 2026 Appropriation Bill by Governor Siminalayi Fubara, which has been passed by the House of Assembly, the Speaker of the Assembly, Martins Amaewhule, disclosed that the House withheld approval of the amount earmarked for the payment of fees for students in PAMO University, alleging that earlier funds allocated to the university were mismanaged and unaccounted for.

Consequently, the lawmakers summoned the Vice Chancellor of the university to appear before it or face an order of arrest in the exercise of its power under section 128 of the Constitution.

However, the university authority questioned the threats by the Assembly and further dragged the Assembly to court.

The university, represented in Court by its legal team, Dr. Chukwuma Chinwo and Sunny Udesi, yesterday, in the suit which was joined by the Speaker and Deputy Speaker as well as the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, is challenging the powers of the Rivers State House of Assembly to probe the affairs of the PAMO University.

However, Justice Chukwu Mark declined the order on the premise of fair hearing and adjourned for hearing a case for the enforcement of fundamental rights filed by PAMO University and its Vice Chancellor, Prof. Smith Jaja, to Tuesday, September 29, 2026.