FNHE: Groups Petition Tinubu To Stop Appointment Of Acting MD Unogu As Substantive CMD

Posted by Ignatius Okpara Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Friday, September 27th, 2024

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – A Coalition of civil society and human rights groups, under the platform of Joint National Actions Front Nigeria has petitioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to halt move by the Minister State for Health, Dr. Tunji Alausa to recommend his alleged preferred Candidate and Acting Chief Medical Director, Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital Enugu FNHE, Dr. Ngozi Unogu as the new boss of the health hospital, despite failing the examination and interview for the position.

The organizations, which had earlier addressed a press conference in Abuja on Monday on same issue, cautioned the junior Minister over alleged administrative misconduct.

They equally alleged that after the interview, Dr. Alausa used the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to go after Dr. Andrew Oroghiwo one of the candidates who sat for the examination and interview and recorded higher marks than Unogu.

“It is clear that Dr. Alausa wants Dr. Unaogu to be the CMD at all costs, and this is because of their alleged involvement in a N40 billion intervention fund for an abandoned building complex at the hospital,” the group alledged.

They recalled also how the junior Minister unlawfully sacked the former CMD of the hospital, Dr. Monday Nwite Igwe, barely three months into his second-term appointment as the hospital boss, adding that despite taking the matter to the House Committee on Public Wrongs, which reportedly agreed that the minister misled the president, Dr. Alausa proceeded to advertise the CMD position.

“The Industrial Court had served Dr. Alausa with processes on the case brought by Dr. Igwe, yet the minister ignored the court and was in a hurry to install Dr. Unaogu,” the petition stated.

They further accused Dr. Unaogu of overstaying in her acting capacity, contrary to public service rules.

The group, claim that during the interview for the position, two candidates, Dr. Ngozi Unaogu and Dr. Andrew Oroghiwo, were shortlisted, with Dr. Oroghiwo scoring higher. “Dr. Oroghiwo came first with 65.3%, while Dr. Unaogu scored 59.2%, which is below the 60% benchmark for promotion in civil service,” the petition said.

The petition equally pointed out the case of Dr. Afam Ndu, the principal of the hospital’s Post-Basic School of Psychiatric Nursing, who has reportedly been suspended multiple times under Dr. Unaogu’s administration.

According to the group “Dr. Unaogu has instigated a committee in the hospital to target Dr. Ndu, despite a court ruling in 2017 that cleared him of defamation charges brought by Dr. Unaogu and her colleagues,”

They further argued that Dr. Unaogu’s actions are in contempt of court and part of a personal vendetta against Dr. Ndu.

“Dr. Ndu has been on interdiction without salary for over a year, which is against public service rules,” they pointed out.

“The Joint National Actions Front Nigeria is giving the federal government a two-week ultimatum to address the issues raised in the petition or face protests.

“As an organization, we will not allow the Minister to run a public institution like a personal business. The level of impunity being exhibited is unacceptable, and we will resist this through picketing and protests,”.

The coalition however, vowed to stage a protest at the Ministry of Health on October 1, 2024, if the situation is not resolved.

“Dr. Tunji Alausa must go. We cannot have this level of bad governance in our health institutions,” they declared.