GROUP WANTS EFCC AND ICPC TO INVESTIGATE RADIOGRAPHERS’ BOARD

The Radiographers Registration Board of Nigeria (RRBN)’s invitation to a senior lecturer at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Nnewi campus, Anambra State, Professor Anthony Ugwu to an investigating panel and his subsequent suspension for refusal to honour invitation have attracted the anger of the Center for Prevention of Corruption and Human Right Abuse Initiative (CPCHRAI) and the Civil Liberties Organization (CLO).

Chairman of the CPCHRAI, Comrade Eburu Inya in a statement, said that if RRBN can be administratively reckless as to dabble into a civil matter between two persons that did not concern the Board and also punish someone for sharing information in the public domain contrary to the information Act, then the Board has the tendency to be financially reckless.

Comrade Inya, therefore, called on Economic and Financial Crime Control (EFCC) and ICPC to investigate the RRBN Board without further delay.

According to the Chairman, what the law expected in every sane country was that when an issue was before the court, every action relating to it was kept on hold pending the court ruling.

“Regrettablely, the RRBN went ahead to induct technicians in Sokoto few days ago. This is the height of administrative lawlessness and must be investigated, “ he said.

Professor Ugwu in a statement, disclosed that with the permission of his lawyers and colleagues in human right groups worldwide, he decided to inform all about the recent developments in his profession, radiography.

He said: “We’ve right to information. The charges accompanying this report came from our dear RRBN.

“Does having exchange of words with Mrs lkete in the social media platforms constitute a ‘professional’ misconduct? This is an English word and does not need much logic to understand. Several journalists have raised this same question. We may use the code of conduct for public servants in the 1999 Constitution as our guide and not any other document below the judicial or statutory ranking of the constitution.

“I shared a memo I received just like every other Nigerian does. Does this in any way warrant the setting up of a panel by our Board? How many journalists has PMB set up panels for? What is freedom of information all about? Did the past RRBN leaders adopt this approach? Has the RRBN refuted any such memo to a school of health technology contrary to court rulings as l ‘ve always noted?

“I’m in court against the RRBN for certifying technicians etc contrary to appeal court ruling. Does this amount to any infringement, “ Prof Ugwu rhetorically asked.

He said he was fully prepared for the battle ahead but felt that everyone should be informed about the development for posterity sake.

He alleged that the current Board Chairman once created a Post Graduate Diploma programme for Ultrasound to run in his private centre. He said that the MISON protested but no panel was set up to investigate or invite him possibly because he owns the profession, according to him.

“The current Registrar has on several occasions acted against the court rulings but no panel was set up to investigate or invite him. l am not perturbed but l feel that our professional colleagues should be informed about this recent happening.

“l am fully prepared and sincerely thank those that’ve offered strong support. It shall end in praise. Currently l visit two Nigerian universities as a Professor. Few years ago, l told my undergraduate students that there are three things l do in life just like late Gani, my role model. These are teaching radiography, publishing radiography and practicing radiography. This statement was what gave me the Senior Advocate of Radiography (SAR) title.

“No machination of the enemy of the profession can change or stop this. We may end up multiplying cases for our profession, getting our Board dissolved abruptly or registrar removed before time with the attendant shame on the profession as we all look and wait as the brouhaha rages.

“Nigerian politicians are known for what they can do especially when there is no money to spend even on serious issues like ASUU strike. This is a matter in the public domain, several journalists, human right crusaders, radiologists, among others are following up, “ he said.

Meanwhile, the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Southeast Zone, has called on the Federal Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire to dissolve without further delay the Board members of the RRBN and also apply appropriate sanctions on the Registrar of the Board, Dr Mark Okeji and the Board Chairman, Hon. A.F.K Bakare.

The CLO in a press statement signed by its Chairman, Southeast Zone , Comrade Emeka Attah said the call for such an action was born out of the recent actions of the duo of Okeji and Bakare suspending Prof Anthony Ugwu , a renowned Radiographer, activist and a senior university lecturer.

The CLO in its statement recalled that the news was awash recently that the Disciplinary Committee of the RRBN reportedly slammed a two year suspension on Prof Ugwu, a lecturer and the owner of St. Michael Diagnostic Center, Nnewi, Anambra.

The human rights organisation said the RBBN Disciplinary Committee also ordered Ugwu to pay the cost of one million naira (N1, 000,000) to offset the incidentals incurred by the Board having been found guilty of various acts of unethical behaviour, unwholesome acts and infamous conduct in contravention of the code of conduct and ethics of the profession, according to the RRBN Board.

The CLO said it gathered that Prof Anthony Ugwu, as alleged, was his refusal to honour invitations by the Investigative Panel and Disciplinary Committee of the Board while his offences included posting of several alleged derogatory remarks about the Board, his fellow senior colleagues as well as circulating an official letter of the Board not addressed to him on social media which acts the Committee found to be disrespectful, abusive, insulting and unwholesome and unbecoming of a professional.

The CLO shuddered on how the RRBN through its Registrar, Dr Okeji and Chairman of the Board, Hon Bakare could act so crude and brazenly against the provisions of the law, due process and judicial processes.

It said its investigations revealed that Prof Ugwu is up for crucifixion by the Board Chairman and Registrar because of his activism background and struggles over the years to ensure that those at the helm of affairs at the Radiographers registration body do not use their position to perpetuate abuses and circumvent the system thereby promoting quackery and unprofessionalism in the noble profession of Radiography.

“The events leading to his purported suspension started when he personally took the Radiographers Registration Board of Nigeria (RRBN) to court for certifying technicians to dispense ionizing radiation and awarding PGD Sonography to non radiographers.”

“The attempt to regulate technicians was ruled on, not in favour of the RRBN by both Federal High Court and Appeal Courts but irrespective of these rulings, the RRBN went further to design a Gazette in these regards.

“The Board who has not forgiven Prof Ugwu for his boldness and effrontery in challenging some of its professional abuses saw a golden opportunity to deal with him after one Mrs Ifeoma Ikete wrote a petition against him alleging professional misconduct following an altercation that ensued between both of them following exchange of words and posting of some materials in a whatsapp platform which both of them belonged to.

“The Radiographers registration body acting on a vendetta mission suddenly invited Prof Ugwu to a disciplinary panel against him in Abuja scheduled for June 7, 2022 while he was only served the notice electronically on June 5, 2022, a two day interval.

“Despite reasons he gave for not being able to attend the disciplinary panel sitting in Abuja and also serving the board Motion on Notice in Court, the board eventually went ahead in its preconceived mission and passed their embarrassing verdict.”

“The CLO having gone through the Act establishing the RBBN and its powers with special emphasis on Section 26(3) Part 1V Section 22, 23 as it relates to discipline and punishment of offenders, can unequivocally state that Prof Ugwu was not indicted for any professional misconduct.

“The CLO said it is still baffled on how a word to word altercation between Mrs Ikete and Prof Ugwu on a Whatsapp platform can constitute a professional misconduct to the Radiographers Board.

“If Mrs Ikete felt that she has evidence of defamation against Prof Ugwu, she should have channelled her complaints to the law enforcement agents for criminal proceedings or a civil suit to that effect and not a petition to a health related professional body that has no business with the subject matter.

“The actions of the Board in going ahead to sit on judgement against Prof Ugwu despite a duly served notice of the court against the sitting amounts to abuse and affront on the power of the courts . Their action and the embarrassing purported suspension of Ugwu smacks of arbitrariness, desperation to nail at all cost and an eventual exercise in futility that cannot stand, “ the human rights group said.

The CLO called on the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation , Boss Mustapha to take appropriate actions and sanction the duo of the Registrar and Chairman of the RBBN Board for their embarrassing actions.

“The Registrar, Dr Okeji should be punished for exhibiting lawlessness to a dizzying height through his utter disregard to court rulings that RRBN cannot regulate technicians which he flouted. The Chairman of the Board, Hon. Bakare on his part, has been accused of allegedly using his power to start the PGD Ultrasound Programme of RRBN in his private centre in Lagos, an issue that Medical Imaging Society of Nigeria (MISON) reportedly protested.

“The RRBN Board also acted in contempt of court proceedings at the Federal High Court, Enugu, by setting up a disciplinary panel for Prof Ugwu.

“While calling on the Health Minister to set up a high level panel to investigate all the allegations against the principal officers of the board, the Governing Board should be dissolved forthwith and the Registrar suspended to avoid influencing the outcome of investigations.

“We finally advise all the actors in this inordinate ambition to crush Prof Ugwu to retrace their steps for the last time or face the consequences, “ CLO concluded.