As reported in a previous edition of Community Watchdog Newspaper, a victim of the Chief Medical Director (CMD), Dr. Achigbu’s highhandedness and tyrannical attributes, Ogbu Jokine Chienyem, has threatened to drag the management of the Federal Medical Centre Owerri, to court, if he is denied justice. The victim wants an immediate review of his case and recall to work.
Ogbu, Jokine Chienyem had in furtherance to the threat written a petition through his lawyer, LUN Nwankaeti and Associates, giving the Minister of Health, Prof. Adeoye, “a pre-action notice letter”.
In the petition dated October 24, 2018, the solicitor stated that based on his clients instructions, he is giving the minister one month notice of his intention to institute legal action against FMC Owerri and Dr. Achigbu. This he said was sequel to the wrongful, and compulsory retirement of Mr Ogbu Jokine Chienyem on allegation of collecting bribe whereas, one Dr (Mrs) Yemi Anizoba under whom Ogbu Jokine Chienyem worked was actually confirmed to be the one that actually demanded and received the N20,000 bribe from a patient on the 20th of June 2018. Mr. Ogbu was instead indicted in the bribery scandal for supporting the patient to insist on being issued an official receipt for the cash payment which contravened the hospital fiscal rules and regulations.
The case assumed a dramatic dimension when the patient confronted Ogbu Jokine Chienyem along with the hospital PRO, complaining that he was not issued any receipt for the N20,000 cash payment he made in lieu of root canal treatment.
Instead of an amicable settlement of the matter, police were invited to arrest the duo of Dr (Mrs) Yemi Anizoba and Ogbu Jokine, culminating in his absence from duties for a couple of days.
Interestingly, the principal culprit, Dr. (Mrs) Anozoba was released same day while the supposedly Innocent Ogbu was detained for five days after which he was arraigned in court as if the management was playing out a script against those who allegedly supported the former CMD, Dr. Mrs Angela Uwakwam, against the mass action and protests by the work force.
Worst still, the police at the state CID, Owerri were only able to grant Mr. Ogbu bail after three days upon collecting a whoppingN100,000 as cost of bail whereas, the police keeps announcing, that “bail is free”.
The idea is a decoy by the management of FMC Owerri to fleece the Ogbu family and probably impoverish them. Not minding the humiliation and huge cost suffered so far, the Chief Medical Director of FMC, Dr. Achigbu ordered Ogbu Jokine Chienyem, suspended without salary, for four months. He was later recalled and subjected to a tortuous disciplinary committee and eventually directed via a letter dated September 20th, 2018 to proceed on a compulsory retirement, “purportedly in public interest”.
It was because of these developments that Ogbu’s lawyer and attorney is demanding a court order nullifying the purported compulsory retirement and any other action taken in relation to the subject matter and a collateral damage of thirty million naira as exemplary and aggravated against the defendant. It is expected that by the time the court slams the thirty million collateral and aggravated damages against Dr. Achigbu, he would be the one to be thrown out of job helplessly for his vindictive and jaundiced judgment against a perceived Innocent Ogbu Jokine Chienyem.
