Again, the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu, is in the news for the wrong reasons.
There are reports that a coalition of Civil Society Organizations, CSOs, are now threatening a showdown between them and the authorities of the institution over alleged mismanagement.
Speaking during a press briefing at the Enugu Press Centre, leader of the coalition, Comrade Onyebuchi Igboke said they were awaiting a petition to the Inspector-General of Police after which there would be what he called “a mother of all protest.”
A copy of the petition he made entitled: “Petition for Investigation Against Dr. Monday Nwite Igwe, Medical Director, Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu for Abuse of Office, Corrupt Practices, Nepotism and Tribalism.”
They claimed in the petition that “Igwe has been acting with impunity, a gross violation of all civil service rules and constitution. He boasts that he has overpowered the Ministry of Health, has hand-twisted the board since he is their paymaster and hence does not obey the board decisions and resolutions, as well as the fact that two of his brothers, one a General in the Nigeria Army and another a seasoned lawyer are there to give him the desired protection.
“He also boasts that the power that be, who installed him as the Medical Director, despite coming third on the list of people that are qualified for the position, will definitely protect him.”
They accused him, of among other things, violation of civil service rules on seniority, as well as “refusal to reinstate the substantive Principal and the substantive Vice Principal of the School of Post Basic Mental Health Nursing of the hospital Mrs Ruth Buzo-Maduka and Mr Afam Ndu, respectively after the Medical Director and cabals have suspended the duo on two different occasions without success, with the said suspensions reversed by the Federal Ministry of Health and the board for lack of merit.”
The coalition further claimed that the Medical Director, “in his desperation to make his wife the substantive principal of the school of Nursing, in the next two years, has introduced a two-year tenureship in the headship of the school which is a clear contravention of the Head of Service of the Federation circular number HCSF/428/S.1/139 dated 20/6/2016 abolishing tenureship in the civil service of the federation.”
They further alleged that two major contracts carried out in the hospital were not advertised.
On allegations of nepotism, they claimed that “the Medical Director’s wife, Mrs Chinonye Igwe is the de facto principal of the school.
“His sister Nurse Sussan Agi is the Head of Nursing Services and her four years senior in ranking Mrs Ruth Buzo-Maduka has been humiliated to work under her as a subordinate for the past one year.
“His brother, Mr Friday Oduburu, who is a staff of the hospital, was contracted to manage the hospital canteen along with his wife. He now sells alcoholic drinks in the hospital canteen and he has also taken over the hospital photocopying machine in the library for his use in the canteen.
“Mr Friday Igwe, who is a brother to MD is now in charge of the hospital hall and is contracting the same out to outsiders for functions.”
They demanded that Igwe should be asked to step aside as the Medical Director to allow “full-scale investigations to avert looming industrial unrest in the hospital.”
When contacted by journalists for her reaction, Igwe declined comments.