Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has donated N500 million to a private university being established by the former governor and his strong backer, Peter Odili, who owns PAMO University and is now its pro-chancellor.
PAMO is Peter and Mary Odili, and it began as a private hospital in Port Harcourt years ago. Mary, the wife of the then governor, established TAP, The Adolescent Project at Iriebe, Obio/Akpor local council area of the state close to Eleme Junction, as a pet project believed to be backed by the state government. Now, the facility has been turned into a university.
The Rivers State government under Wike now wants to partner private investors to promote tertiary education starting with Odili’s PAMO University of Medical Sciences.
The governor thus announced a grant of N500 million for the newly established Pamo University of Medical Sciences, saying it is to support the development of the school and its students.
Declaring open the commencement of Pamo University during the installation of the chancellor, Governor Wike said the state needed more private universities.
The governor said to consummate the partnership with Pamo University, the state would sponsor 100 students annually for the next five years.
He said the state established the College of Medical Sciences at the Rivers State University because of its commitment to train qualified medical doctors.
He said the people of Rivers State would benefit from the establishment of the university because of the increased opportunities for them to study medicine.
He said: “We will sign a memorandum of understanding with the university for the state government to sponsor 100 students annually for five years.”
He commended the former Rivers State governor, Peter Odili, for breaking the ground by investing in the setting up of the university in the state.
He said the government and people of Rivers were excited over the establishment of the school, because it would lead to the training of more qualified medical doctors.
Chancellor of Pamo University of Medical Sciences and former head of state, Abdulsalam Abubakar, said it was a privilege for him to serve in enhancing the training of more medical doctors.
On his part, Odili said the idea of the university was initiated after a chance meeting with the executive secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC), Abubakar Rasheed, who suggested that he should contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the area of medical sciences.
The NUC executive secretary, Rasheed, said with very limited spaces for the training of medical doctors in existing institutions, the establishment of Pamo University of Medical Sciences was a welcome boost.
Niger State governor, Abubakar Bello, said the chancellor of the university would add great value to the school through his wealth of knowledge.
Minister of State for Education, Anthony Onwuka, assured the new university of the support of the Federal Ministry of Education as they work towards contributing to the development of the education sector.
High point of the occasion was the installation of Abdulsalam Abubakar as chancellor by Governor Wike, executive secretary of NUC, and the pro-chancellor of the university.
Former first lady, Justice Fati Lami Abubukar, commissioned the General Abdulsalami Abubakar Building. Pamo University of Medical Sciences is Nigeria’s first university of medical sciences.
