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By Sunday Ani
A lecturer in the Department of Radiography, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nnewi Campus, Anambra State, Prof Anthony Ugwu, has described as lawless the refusal by the Radiographers Registration Board of Nigeria (RRBN) to receive the notice of appeal filed by his lawyers against his arbitrary suspension by the Board.
Ugwu, who is challenging the Board’s decision to suspend his over a disagreement with a female professional colleague, had filed a notice of appeal and stay of execution in court but lamented that when the court bailiff went to the RRBN office in Abuja to serve the court processes, the staff refused to receive it.
Likening the Board’s action to a contempt of court, he noted that since hearing on the matter was scheduled to be on November 25, an affidavit would be deposed to that effect.
“This is enough to tell us the calibre of leadership we have. I may soon address a world press conference on this spate of lawlessness in our profession. We cannot afford to entrust our collective destiny to the hands of greedy and lawless colleagues.
“The moment the technicians start using their RRBN “permits” to obtain HCPC, we are finished. It is even surprising that the RRBN would suspend an acclaimed and consummate activist and expect him to keep quiet. Now that this matter is already before the court, every other issue should be pending till the court accepts or throws out the decision of the Board.
“Let’s see if social media altercation has constituted professional misconduct or if any law permits one to charge someone with a code of conduct and bring punishment from the RR Act, which is an entirely different document. Lawyers still maintain that the Board lacks jurisdiction because l am in court against two key members of the panel.
“The principle of fair hearing, according to section 36 of the Nigerian Constitution, cannot be sustained. The denigration of a colleague was captured in the new code of conduct and I maintain that it is wrong. Denigration is a civil matter and should be treated in court or handled by Public Service Rules under insubordination if the parties involved work in the same place.
“My fear is that as the RRBN continues to disobey the court rulings, it will continue to slide into impotence before the law. If you disobey the court, you lack what it takes to be heard by the court.
“If our Board tries to obtain a court order to seal an illegal centre, what the carpenter operating the place needs to tell the court is that this same Board disobeyed the Appeal Court ruling; that’s all. Our matter, irrespective of the merit, will be thrown out. Many will soon begin to see what I have seen. I thank Mrs Ikete for making me this popular,” Ugwu submitted.
He challenged the Board’s power to seal a centre, insisting that it is only an order by a competent court jurisdiction that could seal a centre He also expressed confidence that his case would open a can of worms in the activities of the Board, which would serve as a veritable lesson to many.
“We must always seek intelligent people for any position. Can’t you see that our sister who was celebrating my suspension on platforms has gone dumb? She can’t contest again to avoid humiliation.
“Note that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) called off the eight-month old strike because the union had to obey the ruling of the Industrial Court before the Appeal Court could hear its case. Our Board is disobeying the court by resisting and refusing court processes.
“The Lagos Appeal Court judgement must be obeyed if our Board can successfully prosecute any offender in court. Anyone who uses brute force in any diagnostic centre should get ready for another EndSARS. It is only in Radiography that an Assistant Director whose peak is Deputy Director can be seen as a senior to a Professor. Posterity will judge us,” Ugwu contended.
