By Austin Ogwuda & Francis Igata

Enugu—The School of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, Federal Neuropsychiatric hospital, Enugu has been thrown into crisis with accusations and counter-accusations between the principal of the school, Mrs. Cecilia Oduburu and the management of the school, following her re-deployment.

Vanguard gathered that there had been a running battle since the posting was carried out last month.

Investigation showed that the embattled principal, Mrs. Oduburu had since petitioned the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, accusing the immediate past board chairman, Mr. Acho Nwakanma, who was also a former Deputy Governor of Abia State, and the Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Jojo Onwukwe, of being responsible for her ordeal.

The petition entitled, ‘Wrongful Removal from the Office,’ dated  July 17, 2015, addressed to the Registrar of the Council, Oduburu, claimed her ordeal began with her refusal to clear three students, who, according to her “were not qualified for registration with the Nursery and Midwifery Council.”

According to her, “on the 20th of May, 2015, while I was still on leave, the board chairman called me on phone and told me that he wanted me to allow three of my students, who had refused to complete their compulsory two weeks community posting, which is one of the pre-requisites for the completion of their programme to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, N&MCN. I took time to explain to the Chairman how the three students refused to complete their posting out of the 30 students in the set. The board chairman after listening to my story affirmed that my action was right.

“Surprisingly, few days later, the chairman called me and was pressurizing me to wave the posting for the students even when it had been duly explained to him that it was against the N&MCN regulation, but he told me that one of the said students had travelled to Australia, and mounted so much pressure on me.

“But I insisted that those students must complete their due posting and be cleared by the school before registration with the Nursing Council because that would amount to lowering the standard of training in the profession.

“My refusal to wave this posting for these students did not go down well with the Board Chairman, who felt I had disobeyed his instruction even when he knew it was wrong. Now the chairman wants to show that he can remove me and get things done his own way not minding the illegality and the adverse effect on the institution.”

She decried the punishment she was unduly subjected to by the hospital’s management for allegedly refusing to compromise her office to clear unqualified students for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

The petition added: “It is shocking to perceive the determination of this clique to bastardize the nursing profession. I am worried that each time I cry out to you, no action has ever been taken to save the situation.”

However, addressing newsmen in Enugu, Mr. Emmanuel Idika, who spoke on behalf of the Chief Medical Director, Mr. Onwukwe, claimed the removal of Mrs. Oduburu, was done in the best interest of the health institution, noting that the decision was taken at a board meeting  on June 18, 2015.

He alleged: “This is not the first time Mrs. Oduburu has been asked to vacate her office. On  March 2, 2015, she was asked to hand over to Mrs. Grace Anoliefo, who is the Assistant Director of Nursing as the Interim coordinator of the School of Nursing by the Medical Director because she locked a male colleague in her office, which within the confines of law, is tantamount to false imprisonment.

“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.

“Also earlier this year, the Anti-Corruption Awareness Organization, has in a memo, petitioned the Management Board of Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu, to the fact that Mrs. Cecilia Oduburu studied at the University full time for six years without official permission or release, while working full time and collecting salary and promotions for the  same six years, which is a gross violation of the Civil Service rule.

“She obtained B.Sc 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.”