The ongoing crisis at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital in Enugu has escalated, with a new legal twist involving the acting Medical Director, Dr. Ngozi Unogu.
NewsNGR gathered that the stalemate over appointing a substantive Medical Director has persisted for months, even after a Federal Government team concluded the interview process.
In a new development, Mr. A.C. Ndu, a staff member from the hospital’s School of Nursing, is seeking to have Dr. Unogu jailed for alleged contempt of court. This follows Ndu’s previous legal victory in a defamation suit against hospital officials.
Chijioke Ezeh, Ndu’s legal counsel, explained that in 2020, Justice E.M. Egumbge of the Enugu State High Court ruled in favor of Ndu in suit No. E712017. The court awarded Ndu N2.5 million in damages and issued a perpetual injunction preventing Dr. Unogu and Dr. Ubochi from questioning Ndu’s qualifications.
Ezeh highlighted that despite the court’s ruling, the defendants formed a committee to investigate Ndu’s credentials, which he argues amounts to defying the court’s injunction.
“Dr. Unogu presided over the committee investigating my client’s qualifications, despite being part of the original case. This is a clear act of contempt aimed at discrediting him,” Ezeh stated, calling it a witch-hunt against Ndu since 2017.
In response, Boniface Ugwu, representing the hospital’s officials, stated that the matter remains sub judice, noting that an appeal was filed following the 2020 judgment, and a motion for a stay of execution is pending.
Meanwhile, Onyebuchi Igboke, a member of the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations of Nigeria, has called for government intervention, criticizing the hospital management and the Ministry of Health for allowing what he described as misconduct.
Igboke emphasized the need for the courts to enforce their rulings and urged the Ministry of Health to invoke Section 7 of the Civil Service Guidelines, which mandates the suspension of an officer involved in criminal proceedings. He also expressed concern over the ministry’s delay in confirming a new CMD, despite the conclusion of interviews.
“The civil society is concerned that the minister’s inaction raises suspicions of complicity. Moreover, no staff audit has been conducted at the hospital, which is a breach of standard procedure,” Igboke added.