…Justice Ngozi Orji threatens revocation of N1m Jail bond
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BY JUDE OSSAI / ENUGU
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The case of contempt of court slammed on the Acting Chief Medical Director of the
Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu, Dr Ngozi Unogu by an Enugu High Court presided over Justice Ngozi Orji was on Wednesday stalled following the absence of the 1st Applicant.
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Both the Hospital’s CMD, Dr. Unogu and Vincent Ubochi, Director, Clinical Services were sent to Correctional Centre for contempt of court, initiated by Dr. Afam Ndu, principal of the School of Basic Mental Health Nursing at the institution.
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Recall that Justice Ebele Mabel Egumbge of the High Court of Enugu State had, in 2020, ruled in favor of the plaintiff, Dr. Afam Ndu in suit No. E712017, where the court awarded Dr. Ndu ₦2.5 million in damages and issued a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, including Dr. Unogu and Dr. Ubochi, from questioning his qualifications
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However, the defendants defied the court’s injunction by constituting a committee to investigate the same qualifications against court order.
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At the ruling two weeks ago, Justice Ngozi Orji ordered that the defendants, Dr. Unogu and Ubochi should remain at the Correctional Service until there is total obedience to the court judgment delivered on the 10 December 2021 by Hon. Justice Egumgbe which among other things, was a perpetual injunction against the Hospital management from further scrutinising the credentials of the applicant, Mr. Afam Ndu, the suspended Acting Principal of the School of Basic Psychiatric Nursing of the hospital.
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Also in her ruling, the court found that both the Acting Medical Director and the Head of Clinical Services disobeyed the court order when the first contempnor, the Acting Medical Director, Dr. Ngozi Unagogu, constituted a senior staff committee headed by herself to further scrutinize the NYSC discharge certificate of Dr. Afam Ndu which according to her, was a directive emanating from the office of the Federal Minister of Health and Social Welfare.
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The court in delivering the ruling, held that the Constitution of the senior staff committee by the Acting Medical Director was a fragrant disobedience to court order and therefore, committed the duo to prison and ordered that’s the they be so detained until there is an absolute obedience to the court order contained in the judgment delivered on the 10 of December 2021 by Hon. Justice Ebele Mabel Egumgbe of Enugu State High Court.
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However, when the matter on contempt of court came up on Wednesday, the Applicants lawyer, Boniface Ugwu told the court that the CMD, Dr Unogu was sick and could not appear before the presiding judge to brief the court on how far the Hospital Management had complied with the court order. Ubochi, Director of Clinical Services was present in court.
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But the plaintiff’s lawyer, C.D Eze noted that the excuse of illness as tendered by the 1st Applicant, Dr Ngozi Unogu was a ploy to delay her compliance to Court’s order that favoured his client, Dr Afam Ndu, pointing out that he (Ndu) was sacked by his employers and being owed salary of 18 months.
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Justice Orji after listening to lawyers of both Applicants and Plaintiff, threatened to revoke the N1m jail bond granted to the Hospital’s CMD and the Director of Clinical Services, respectively, if they fail to appear in court in next sitting.
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Justice Orji, therefore, adjourned the case to March 27, 2025 to allow all the parties to be present in court.
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