The Rivers State Ministry of Education has cancelled the screening and verification exercise for indigenes offered provisional admission and scholarships to PAMO University of Medical Sciences (PUMS) for the 2026/2027 academic session.
The exercise, which was scheduled to take place next Monday, was intended for candidates offered provisional admission under the state government’s scholarship scheme.
In a statement signed by the Director of Higher Education, Magdalene Wilcox, on behalf of the Commissioner for Education, the ministry announced the cancellation and apologised for any inconvenience it might cause the affected candidates and their parents or guardians.
However, the statement did not provide a reason for the cancellation or indicate whether a new date would be announced for the exercise.
The development comes amid an ongoing dispute between PAMO University of Medical Sciences and the Rivers State House of Assembly over the management and accountability of funds allocated to the state government’s scholarship programme.
The Assembly had removed a proposed ₦6 billion allocation for the scholarship scheme from the 2026 budget and initiated an investigation into funds previously released under the arrangement.
The lawmakers reportedly raised concerns about accountability and the management of public funds committed to the programme, prompting scrutiny of the financial relationship between the state government and the private medical university.
PAMO University of Medical Sciences has, however, disputed the allegations and challenged the Assembly’s investigation in court.
The dispute has drawn attention to the administration of the scholarship scheme, which provides educational opportunities for eligible indigenes of Rivers State pursuing medical and other health-related programmes.
Although the cancellation of the screening and verification exercise comes against the backdrop of the disagreement, the Ministry of Education did not establish any connection between the two developments in its announcement.
It therefore remains unclear whether the cancellation is related to the ongoing dispute or whether other administrative considerations informed the decision.
The affected candidates and their families are expected to await further communication from the ministry regarding the status of their provisional admissions, scholarships and any possible rescheduling of the screening exercise.
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