HOUSE OF REPS FAULTS SACK OF MD ENUGU NEUROPSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL, MONDAY IGWE, CALLS FOR REINSTATEMENT

images 4

HOUSE OF REPS FAULTS SACK OF MD ENUGU NEUROPSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL, MONDAY IGWE, CALLS FOR REINSTATEMENT

The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions has said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was misled to have replaced Prof. Monday Igwe as the Medical Director of the Federal Neuropsychatric Hospital, Enugu.

The House Committee has therefore directed the Federal Ministry of Health to reinstate him.

The committee gave the directive, in his ruling on a petition brought before the House by Igwe against the Federal Ministry of Health and Federal Neuropsychatric Hospital, Enugu challenging his removal as the Medical Director of the institution.

The Chairman of the committee, Mike Ataba, in his ruling said, “we have listen to this matter. We don’t need to call the Honourable Minister of Health for state. Mr President has been misled for him to replace this man (Igwe). And the House’s position is that this man be reinstated back to his duties and that will be our recommendation to the floor.”

Igwe, in his petition to the House, had contended that his suspension and subsequent termination of his appointment did not follow laid down procedure.

Consequently, he prayed the parliament to declare his suspension and termination of his appointment illegal and direct the government to reinstate him.

While testifying before the committee, Igwe explained that “I was appointed as medical director for the second and final term with effect from April 1, 2023. Around September there was frivolous allegations petitions from the acting principal of the school and some social media information that was misleading and not true. For example, he claimed that the School of of nursing was closed and that I was responsible for

“Then on 5/9 2023, the federal ministry of Health gave me a query to respond to the allegations of closing the school. The school was not closed, it was the nursing and midwifery council that withdrew accreditation. So, I didn’t close school. I responded on 8th of September. I was expecting that I would be called for fair hearing.

“On 20th of September I got a suspension letter without any recourse to me to explain what I have written as a response to the query. And it was very unfair. I wasn’t given a fair hearing and the suspension was indefinite. And in public service, there is nothing like indefinite suspension. It either you suspend somebody for three months or for six months. But I was suspended indefinitely.”

Also, the counsel to the petitioner, Micheal Okorie , told the panel that action of the Hearth ministry, “including the suspension and termination did not follow the laid down procedure in the circular from the SGF.”

He added that “disciplinary procedure against chief executives of federal parastatals should follow certain procedures, that any action in respect of suspension should be routed through the Office of the SGF to the President. It is Mr President that will take a decision about the suspension or termination if the appointment of a chief executive officer. But in this case, they did not follow the procedure.”

However, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Daju Kachollom, in her response said the suspension and subsequent termination of Igwe’s appointment as the MD of the the Federal Neuropsychatric Hospital, Enugu was in accordance with extant rules.

She explained that Igwe was suspended based on a petition from the institution. According to her, after his three months suspension elapsed, it was further extended for another three months before his eventual sack.

Nevertheless, the lawmakers observed that Igwe’s appointment was terminated after he was issued only one query; and that the Ministry of Health disregarded the recommendations of a 7-man panel, which recommended the reinstatement of the latter.

Therefore, they insisted that Kachollom should furnish the parliament on the rules the Ministry of Health relied on in terminating the appointment of Igwe.

One of the lawmakers, Fred Agedi, in his intervention, said “Chairman, tell PS to refer us to the rules. We are talking of rules. Nobody can talk on his own when it comes to running government. Take us to the rules that says for whatever offense, three months suspension. Tell us the rules that you also have the power after the three months to also extend the suspension for another three months. Refer us to the rules.

In her response, Kachollom said, “as I sit here Honourable chairman, with deep respect to the House, everything that I did, is based on the procedure. I might not have the commission guideline here, but what we did is based on disciplinary procedure.”

  • Dons Eze

    DONS EZE, PhD, Political Philosopher and Journalist of over four decades standing, worked in several newspaper houses across the country, and rose to the positions of Editor and General Manager. A UNESCO Fellow in Journalism, Dr. Dons Eze, a prolific writer and author of many books, attended several courses on Journalism and Communication in both Nigeria and overseas, including a Postgraduate Course on Journalism at Warsaw, Poland; Strategic Communication and Practical Communication Approach at RIPA International, London, the United Kingdom, among others.

    Related Posts

    NORTHERN EMIR BANS CHURCH ACTIVITIES IN CHRISTIAN FAMILIES

    NORTHERN EMIR BANS CHURCH ACTIVITIES IN CHRISTIAN HOMES The Emir of Rano, Ambassador Muhammad Isa Umaru, has placed a strict ban on church activities inside residential buildings within the Emirate. The directive follows a wave of petitions from concerned residents, prompting the Emir to set up a special investigative committee. Findings from the committee confirmed that a church in Yadi Quarters, Rano town, was conducting services in a residential house without adhering to proper legal procedures. Rano Emirate is home to 27 certified churches, where Christians worship freely without interference. Findings from the committee confirmed that a church in Yadi Quarters, Rano town, was conducting services in a residential house without adhering to proper legal procedures. Rano Emirate is home to 27 certified churches, where Christians worship freely without interference. However, unauthorized worship in residential buildings sparked discontent among locals, leading to formal complaints. Acting on the committee’s report, the Emir swiftly ordered an immediate halt to all church activities in residential buildings to prevent any potential breach of peace. Committee Secretary, Alhaji Umar Isa Sarki, revealed that multiple petitions raised concerns over the legality of the services being held in private homes. Efforts to obtain a reaction from the Kano chapter chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.

    TOO MANY PEOPLE COME TO UK TO WORK ILLEGALLY – PRIME MINISTER VOWS TO END IT

    TOO MANY PEOPLE COME TO WORK IN UK ILLEGALLY – PRIME MINISTER, VOWS TO END IT UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged to take decisive action against illegal immigration, vowing to put an end to the practice of individuals entering the country to work illegally. In a statement via X on Monday, Prime Minister Starmer emphasized the need for stricter controls, stating: “Too many people are able to come to the UK and work illegally. We are putting an end to it.” In a related development, Kemi Badenoch, UK’s conservative leader, had revealed that the Conservative Party would implement significant changes in the country’s immigration policy. According to her proposal, immigration reforms will include extending the waiting period for ‘Indefinite Leave to Remain’ (ILR) from five to ten years. Additionally, immigrants will now have to wait five years after obtaining ILR before applying for British citizenship, increasing the total process to at least 15 years. Badenoch’s proposal also introduces stricter restrictions on eligibility. Individuals with criminal records, those dependent on social housing, or those claiming benefits will be permanently barred from settling in the UK. Furthermore, anyone who enters the country illegally or overstays their visa will be banned from ever obtaining leave to remain or British citizenship

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    You Missed

    SHARIA: YORUBA MUSLIMS NOT YOUR SLAVES – AKINTOYE TELLS SULTAN

    • By Dons Eze
    • February 12, 2025
    • 10 views

    ENUGU LP HOUSE OF REPS MEMBERS JOIN APC

    • By Dons Eze
    • February 12, 2025
    • 49 views

    CAMBRIDGE HONOURS NIGERIAN PHD STUDENT FOR BIAFRA HERITAGE PROJECT

    • By Dons Eze
    • February 12, 2025
    • 19 views

    NORTHERN EMIR BANS CHURCH ACTIVITIES IN CHRISTIAN FAMILIES

    • By Dons Eze
    • February 12, 2025
    • 55 views

    TOO MANY PEOPLE COME TO UK TO WORK ILLEGALLY – PRIME MINISTER VOWS TO END IT

    • By Dons Eze
    • February 12, 2025
    • 35 views

    TENSIONS RISE BETWEEN ANAMBRA, IMO OVER KILLING OF TWO RESIDENTS BY SOLUDO’S AGUNECHEMBA