Permanent Secretary allegedly beats HoD into coma
The Anambra State Government announced on Sunday that it would take necessary action to address the altercation and alleged ‘strangulation’ involving the Permanent Secretary of the state’s Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Mrs. Chinwe Achugbu, and one of the Heads of Department, a female staff member whose identity has yet to be confirmed.
Achugbu is one of the newly appointed permanent secretaries by the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo.
According to reports, the altercation between the two reportedly occurred on Thursday, August 15, in the office during an argument over an undisclosed matter, which led to one of them allegedly strangling the other into a coma.
Although the cause of the fight has not been fully ascertained, reports indicate that it took the intervention of some people in the ministry to separate the two before normalcy was restored.
A reliable source in the ministry, who requested anonymity, disclosed the incident to journalists on Friday, alleging that the permanent secretary inflicted severe injuries on the HOD, leading to her being rushed to the Emergency Ward of the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital in Amaku-Awka, where she was resuscitated.
It was further gathered that physical assaults have become a recurring issue among top staff members in the ministry, while subordinates are afraid to report these excesses for fear of being victimized.
The source said, “Yes, the incident happened. Everything in that story is true. I was there that day, and it all happened right in front of me. The two of them fought over a yet-to-be-disclosed matter, and the PS tried to strangle the HOD, holding her neck for several minutes.”
“It was a very chaotic moment. It took the intervention of others nearby before normalcy was restored after the HOD was rushed to the hospital, as she had fallen into a coma”.
Another source, an employee in the ministry, also confirmed the incident to newsmen on the condition of anonymity, saying the matter had not been officially reported to the appropriate authorities due to the status of the individuals involved.
According to him, some top officials in the ministry were trying to sweep the matter under the carpet.
However, when contacted at her office at the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare located at Dora Akunyili Women Development Centre, Awka, for her reactions to the allegations, the Perm. Sec. declined comments, saying that she was forbidden to speak, as a person under authority. She further directed the reporter to “go and ask the Head of Service.”
When also contacted on what steps had been taken to address the development, the Head of Service, Theodora Igwegbe, said she was aware of a reported fight at the ministry through social media but had yet to officially be briefed on what happened.
Igwegbe vowed to take action after an investigation and findings had been concluded on the matter.
“I saw the report on social media on Friday, August 23, 2024. I have not received a formal report against the Permanent Secretary in question as provided by Section 7, Chapter 10 of the Public Service Rules (2021).
“That notwithstanding, I have started asking questions to ascertain what happened while I await a formal report, which should be the beginning of a process. Thank you,” she added.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo, on her part, could not be reached for comments on the development as messages and calls to her telephone line were not responded to.
Section 7 of the Public Service Rules (2021) includes sanctions for erring workers and misconduct, guidelines for worker conduct, penalties for failure to discharge functions by established practice. These penalties aim to ensure that public servants maintain a high standard of conduct and performance in their duties.
Proofreading by Uchechi Ojo, Sub-editor at Neptune Prime.
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