Crisis brews at Enugu Neuro Psychiatric Hospital over sack of principal

MAURICE OKAFOR, Enugu

Crisis is currently brewing at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu over the sack of its principal, Mrs Cecelia Oduburu and the management of the institution.

The management insists she was sacked over gross misconduct but the principal said her alleged sack didn’t comply with civil service rules and would not stand, stating she had gone to court to seek redress.

A staff of the institution, Mr. Emmanuel Idika, who spoke on behalf of the Chief Medical Director, said the removal of Mrs. Cecilia Oduburu, of the School of Post Basic Studies, was done in the best interest of the health institution.

According to him, the decision was taken at a board meeting held on 18th June 2015, as contained in a memo with reference no FNHE/G.098/1/223, signed by Igwenagu N.C. (Mrs). He said Mrs Oduburu was thereafter redeployed to the ward, through the Head of Nursing Services, while Mrs. Ruth Buzo-Maduka, an Assistant Director of Nursing with a background in Education, and who has taught for almost seven years was appointed as the Principal/Head of School of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu.

He alleged that the sins of Mrs. Oduburu include the unlawful locking of a male colleague in her office earlier in the year which is tantamount to false imprisonment.

“Thereafter she was asked to hand over to someone else but she bluntly refused.

“Each time she has been asked to hand over, she always refused, instead she runs around the whole of Nigeria complaining of maltreatment by the management of the hospital and in some cases, will lock the office for one week without handing over.

The hospital management further alleged that the Anti-Corruption Awareness Organization in Nigeria had in a separate memo petitioned the Management Board of Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu to the fact that Mrs. Cecilia Oduburu took a full time course at university for six years without official permission, while working as a permanent staff of the hospital on pay role, which is a gross violation of the civil service rule.

“She obtained BSC in Nursing from the Department of Nursing, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus for four years full time and M.Sc in Community Nursing from the same university for two years, also full time”.

Other reasons for her removal included that “the first hospital final council exam by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria was cancelled by the Nursing Council because Mrs. Oduburu did not inform the council and the whole students had to repeat the same exam, putting the cost on the students and the hospital. This was viewed as incompetence by the board of the hospital.

“She also increased the school uniform fee of the students from N10, 000 to N15, 000 without consulting the board members of the school. She unilaterally brought in a tailor and conspired with the tailor to defraud the students. When other members of staff complained, she brought in N90, 000 and shared it to the members, giving them N15, 000 and made them sign their names before giving them the money.

“Furthermore, the school hospital is meant to accommodate two people per room but she sometimes put four or six orientation students and under-account for it.

“She also collaborated with John Doe to collect N1, 500.00 from Post Basic students on the pretence that they were going for a conference, which they never did and till date; she has not refunded the money to the students.

“Mrs Oduburu also unilaterally ordered each incoming students to buy so many items, some of which include 2 realms of ruled sheets, 2 packets of pen (blue and red), 2 packets of board marker (black and blue), 2 packets of 2B pencil, 2 reams of photocopying paper, mops, moping buckets, brooms etc. She did this without the permission of the authorities. Those items were unaccounted for by Mrs. Oduburu.

“She also admitted three students into the school through the back door without due process and collected money from them. The three students comprise her friends and family members, and were not on the merit list. Their names include Florence Nwokoro, Obi Christian Nonso and Nwaejike Prince.

“She chose three students to victimize on the grounds that they did not complete community posting because they dared to ask her for their money for the seminar which was never organized.

“It should be noted that Mrs. Oduburu is not the co-ordinator of the community program. The co-ordinator of the program, Mr. Afam Ndu, submitted that the said students completed the community program. If they did not complete the program, why did Mrs. Oduburu allow them to sit for the council exam, only to refuse them from registering for their license after they passed the council exam?

“All efforts by everyone to get Mrs. Oduburu allow the students get their license fell on deaf ears, rather she chose to blackmail the medical director, board chairman and board members through petitions”, the hospital further stated.

When contacted, Mrs. Obuduru described the allegations against her as a cover up.

“The management has interest in the three students. My refusal to allow the students get license did not go well with the authorities. I did not want to compromise on standard; the chairman of the board broke into my office.

“The case is in court and will be held 5th of October this year at the Federal High Court, Enugu. My removal was illegal. I was employed as principal in acting capacity. My position now is not as a nurse but as principal, which was publicly advertised and I beat other opponents to it.

“Before they remove me as principal, they must go through the normal process in the civil service rules.”