The Nigerian Federal Ministry of Justice has declined to intervene in a rights abuse petition filed by a professor, Anthony C. Ugwu, against the Registrar of the Radiographers Registration Board of Nigeria (RRBN), Prof Mark Okeji.
In a letter dated July 4, 2024, and signed by Ms. Roseline Tasha, Director of the Citizens’ Rights Department on behalf of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, seen by SaharaReporters, the Ministry had acknowledged receipt of Professor Ugwu’s petition but stated it would not intervene due to the matter being sub judice.
Prof Ugwu, a senior academic and radiographer, had earlier sued the RRBN for allegedly introducing technicians into the radiography profession in violation of the Radiographers Act and a binding ruling of the Court of Appeal.
Following the legal action, he was suspended by the RRBN Board for what it termed “professional misconduct.”
Challenging the suspension, Ugwu filed a separate suit at the Federal High Court in Enugu.
He cited Section 26 of the Radiographers Act, which stipulates that parties must maintain status quo during pending litigation.
However, despite this, the RRBN Registrar reportedly wrote a petition to Ugwu’s institution, a move Prof Ugwu considers a further abuse of office.
The Federal Ministry of Justice advised Professor Ugwu to apply to the court to compel parties to uphold the status quo and offered the option of mediation through its Abuja-based Mediation Center.
In a letter signed by Professor Anthony C. Ugwu, dated 20th February 2024, addressed to the President of the Senate and copied to the Minister of Health, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), the Chief of Staff to the President, the National Human Rights Commission.
Others copied were; the Presidents of ASUU and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Senators representing Enugu North and Anambra South Senatorial Districts, ASUU Chairpersons at UNIZIK and UNIBEN, and members of the House of Representatives.
The letter read, “May I recall that after I had filed a suit against the RRBN for bringing technicians into our profession contrary to the Radiographer’s Act and an Appeal Court ruling, the RRBN suspended me on account of what the RRBN Board called
professional misconduct.
“Based on my conviction that what the Board is calling professional misconduct is not in accordance with the Act (section 23), I filed a suit against the suspension in the Federal High Court, Enugu.
“Irrespective of the fact that section 26 of the Act made it clear that the status quo is maintained when issues of suspension are pending in court, the Registrar of the RRBN wrote a petition against me to my institution even when the parties have already joined issues in court.”
According to him, “This petition fowarded in February 2023 not only violated the section 26 of the Radiographer’s Act and the University Autonomy Act but painted me in a bad light before the management of my
institution and hence defamation. A clear evidence of this malicious attack on me by the registrar is as attached for
easy reference.
“My 2023 practice licence has also been seized by the registrar. Furthermore, on the 5th and 6th February this year while on professional resource verification in the University of Benin where I am a Visiting Professor, the Registrar of the RRBN declared that I am not a member of the profession before the management of the university and other radiographers in the team.
“This amounts to another round defamation, abuse of office, subjudice and violation of both the Radiographer’s Act and the University Autonomy Act.
“The University Autonomy Act violation is more acute as no university is administratively under any regulatory parastatal and the RRBN practice licence is for practice and not for teaching.
“In view of this and in line with the code of conduct rules in public service, I demand the immediate suspension of the
RRBN registrar and full scale investigation of the activities of the Board,” he added.
When contacted by SaharaReporters, the Chief Executive Officer of the board declined comments.
“I am not answerable to you, I am answerable only to the government and some of the issues have been investigated to be false.”
“If you must talk to me, you would not call me on phone, you will come to my office, so that I can see your face,” he noted.
