Reps Wants Medical Director Reinstated

The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions has recommended that the Ministry of Health should reinstate Professor Monday Igwe as the medical director of the Federal Neuropsychatric Hospital, Enugu.

The committee said this while giving its ruling on a petition brought before the House by Igwe against the Federal Ministry of Health and Federal Neuropsychatric Hospital in Enugu State, challenging his removal as the medical director of the institution.

The committee after listening to all the parties, said President Bola Tinubu was misled to have replaced Igwe as the medical director of the Federal Neuropsychatric Hospital in Enugu State.

Chairman of the committee, Hon Mike Ataba, in his ruling said “We have listened 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 the subsequent termination of his appointment did not follow laid down procedure.

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He therefore prayed the parliament to declare his suspension and the termination of his appointment as illegal. He also asked the government to reinstate him.

Igwe, while testifying before the committee, said he was appointed as medical director for the second and final term with effect from April 1, 2023.

He however said in September of the same year, frivolous allegations and misleading petitions, including closing the School of Nursing, were levelled against him.

He said on September 5, 2023, the federal ministry of Health gave him 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 the 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.”