CSOs, Petition IGP, Minister Over Alleged Corruption, Abuse Of Office By Enugu Fed. Neuropsychiatric Hospital Director

Posted by Ignatius Okpara Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Sunday, May 15th, 2022

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – A Coalition of Civil Society organizations in Enugu State, have called on the Inspector General of police (IGP), Baba Akali and Minister of State for Health, Dr. Olorunnimbe Mamora, to carry out thorough investigation on alleged abuse of office, corrupt practices, nepotism and tribalism by the Medical Director, Federal Neuropsychiatric hospital Enugu, Dr. Monday Nwite Igwe in the medical institution.

The group also accused the Director of complexity in the administration of the federal government owned hospital, adding that impunity has been his watch word, a development they equally alleged has led to system failure in the establishment.

They further alleged that Dr. Igwe has converted the federal government hospital into a family business, and abandoning the Civil Service rules.

The organizations in a petition addressed to the IGP, and the Minister, and made available African Examiner, stressed the need for urgent investigation of the allegations leveled against Dr. Igwe so as to save the hospital from imminent crisis.

“While it will be seen that peace has gradually returned at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu, fresh crisis looms at the hospital over abuse of office, corrupt practices, nepotism, tribalism and manifestation of obvious acts of a power drunk man by the Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Monday Nwite Igwe.

Addressing Newsmen yesterday on the petition, leader of the group, Comrade Igboke Onyebuchi alleged that Dr Monday Nwite Igwe has been acting with impunity, gross violation of all civil service rules and constitution.

” He boasted that he has over powered the Ministry of Health, has hand-twisted the board since he is their pay master 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 boasted 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 in event of his conduct in the hospital.

“Actually, Dr.Monday Nwite Igwe came third during the process of selection of a new medical director for the hospital but the Ministry of Health presumed him a neutral person having come from Alex Ekwueme University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki but the reverse is the case as he is a product of the cabals in the hospital ,having been trained by the said cabals that have wreaked havoc for the past eight years in the hospital.

“He was trained and supervised by the said cabals ,hence he is now acting their scripts in the hospital. He is not in control of the hospital, lacks administrative/managerial experience and the hospital is now a ticking time bomb. The Medical Director Dr Monday Igwe instead of uniting and reconciling staff of the hospital which was the primary purpose of appointing him as the MD ,despite the fact that he came third during the selection exercise, because he was assumed to be a neutral person is rather planting seeds of discord and divisions among the staff.

“Dr. Monday Nwite Igwe is not experienced as he was brought from the University without acquiring any administrative/hospital management experience.

“To expose the aforementioned acts, we begin as follow: 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 as the said suspensions were reversed by the Federal Ministry of Health and the board for lack of merit.

“The Medical Director and the cabals again conspired and implicated them in a trump allegation of murder but the duo were later discharged and acquitted by the court.

This is in gross violation of the provision of the Public Service Rules No. 030404 (iii) which provides for the immediate reinstatement and payment of all the emoluments having been discharged and acquitted by the court.

“All these are because the Principal and Vice principal openly condemned the action of Mrs Stella Achara who is the former secretary to the former Medical Director Dr Jojo Onwukwe.

“She has been long convicted by the court over the allegation of a N15,000,000:00 (fifteen million naira) job scam in the hospital. Based on the above, the former Medical Director Dr Jojo Onwukwe and his personal assistant Dr Andrew Orowingho who is also his son in-law vowed to remove the duo from the hospital for daring them.

“Now the new Medical Director Dr Monday Nwite Igwe who was their student and supervisor is now acting the script of his former supervisor Dr Jojo Onwukwe and the cabals who have held the hospital hostage for the past eight years.

“To further punish the Principal and the Vice against the will of the court, after the court discharged and acquitted the Principal and Vice Principal in July 2021, it took the Medical Director a period of eight months before he began to pay the duo their salary in February 2022.

“Up till now, their outstanding arrears have remained unpaid and all these are in gross violation of Public Service Rules No 030404 (iii) which provides for the immediate reinstatement and payment of all their emoluments. This is a clear case of victimization.

“Having removed the substantive Principal of the school Mrs Ruth Buzo-Maduka, the Medical Director went on to further punish her by posting her to the ward/clinical area to work under a nursing staff Mrs Susan Agi who is four years her junior in ranking.

“Mrs Susan Agi is currently the Head of Nursing Services and also sister to the Medical Director. This also is in gross violation of Public Service Rules No 020106 which provides for seniority in service.

” Dr Monday Nwite Igwe is in gross violation of the Public Service Rules No. 020601 which stipulates that in the absence of the substantive principal and vice principal, the most senior should take over in an acting capacity pending the determination of the substantive issue rather, Dr Igwe pulled his wife Mrs Chinonye Igwe from the ward/clinical area of Alex Ekwueme University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki and appointed her the substantive vice principal irrespective of the fact that she is not qualified for this position. It is also alleged that Mrs. Chinonye Igwe rarely comes to work.

“The Medical Director Dr Monday Nwite Igwe in his desperation to make his wife the substantive principal of the school in the next two years has introduced a two year tenure ship 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 tenure ship in the civil service of the federation.

“It is alleged that Dr Monday Nwite Igwe collected N3,000.000:00 (three million naira) from one Mrs Stella Oyeamaka Agbo to make her the substantive principal.

This notwithstanding the fact that, the said Stella Oyeamaka Agbo is hierarchically junior to and also a student of both Mrs Ruth Buzo-Maduka and Mr Afam Ndu.

According to the group, ” it is also alleged that the MD’s wife Mrs Chinonye Igwe is the de facto principal. She executes all the contracts and undertakes all the supplies to the school, the more reason Dr Monday Nwite Igwe, the Medical Director does not want the substantive principal and vice back to their positions.

“Prior to the installation of Mrs Stella Oyeamaka Agbo, it was alleged that Dr Monday Igwe collected the sum of N3,000,000:00 (three million naira) from one Mr Alphonsus Mba and made him the substantive principal of the school. However, Mr Mba retired from active service few months after his appointment.

“Under the watchful eyes of Dr Monday Nwite Igwe as the medical director, Mr Alphonsus Mba, Mrs Stella Oyeamaka Agbo and Mrs Chinonye Igwe, the sum of N6,000,000:00 (six million naira) being students’ school fees and other fees of 2019/2020 set which was supposed to be paid through remittal was collected cash by them and the said sum disappeared from the school account till date.

“This is a clear violation of the Federal Government regulation that made provision for payments of all moneys via remittal.

“It was equally alleged that the said sums of money were shared amongst themselves because no serious action or a report to any law enforcement agency was made by the management. The matter was swept under the carpet.

“Under the watchful eyes of Dr Monday Igwe as the medical director, Mrs Stella Oyeamaka Agbo, Mrs Chinonye Igwe and one Mr Princeton Osamor who is not a staff of the school, the sum of N1,600,000:00 (one million, six hundred thousand naira) being amount meant for the registration of the 2021 set of students with the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria disappeared leaving the students stranded.

“To offset this sum so as to achieve the registration, the students were levied again while the medical director on his part brought the sum of N1,000,000:00 ( one million naira) to augment the students’ contribution.

“All these fraudulent activities have not happened in the history of the school and this is one of the reasons the Medical Director Dr Monday Nwite Igwe does not want the substantive principal and vice back to their positions.

“Mr Alphonsus Mba who is one of those alleged to have bought the position of the substantive principal of the school from the Medical Director Dr Monday Igwe is a stooge and long-time friend of the Medical Director. He, Mr Alphonsus Mba is alleged to be impersonating someone as his real name is Mr Gregory Agbo from NCHATANCHA NIKE.

“His wife bears Agbo and all his children bear Agbo as their last name. Everyone from Nchatancha Nike can attest to the above fact.

“Alphonsus Mba is actually the name of his elder sister’s husband. He assumed the name Alphonsus Mbah to enable him acquire and utilize his brother in-law’s West African Examination Council (WAEC) certificate for further studies and career progression as his O’Level result was deficient then.

“The action of Mr Alphonsus Mba amounts to impersonation of the highest order. The Medical Director knows about this but decided to remain silent on the issue.

“The Medical Director, Dr Monday Nwite Igwe while trying to sack the principal and vice principal of the school secretly employed over hundred staff into the hospital especially people from Ebonyi State, his home state without advertising so as to give everybody equal opportunity.

“This is in gross violation of the extant rules that stipulates that jobs must be advertised before employment. There is equally an allegation that people paid the sum of one million naira each before being employed into the hospital.

” The names of some of those secretly employed by the Medical Director without advertising are: 1.Chidi Ugwu 2.Oscar (his personal assistant), 3. Onyekuba etc.

Those staff secretly employed by the Medical Director were secretly captured by IPPIS at Nondon Hotel and were paid three month salaries upfront without working thereby short-changing the Federal Government.

” Most of them have long stopped coming to work and some were alleged to have been employed with fake certificates.

“It is alleged that two major contracts in the hospital were not advertised; in other words, it did not follow due process and it is also alleged that the Medical Director is doing both contracts by proxy, among other allegations.
“Our prayer:

Dr Monday Nwite Igwe (the Medical Director) should be asked to step aside for full scale investigations to avert looming industrial unrest in the hospital

However, when our Correspondent contacted Dr. Igwe on his mobile phone for his reaction he said “i don’t have a copy of the document of what you are asking me, except you will get me a copy after Church Service tomorrow.