The Anambra State Government, on Sunday, said it would take necessary action to address the fight and alleged “strangulation” that occured between the Permanent Secretary of the state Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Mrs Chinwe Achugbu and one of the Heads of Department, a female, in the ministry, whose identity had yet to be ascertained.
Achugbu is one of the new permanent secretaries recently appointed by the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo.
Our correspondent gathered on Sunday that the fight between the duo reportedly happened on Thursday, August 15, in the office during an argument over a yet-to-be-disclosed matter which led to one of them strangling the other person to a coma.
Although the cause of the fight had not been fully ascertained, reports have it that it took the intervention of some persons around the ministry who separated the two persons before normalcy returned to the ministry.
A reliable source in the ministry, who craved anonymity, disclosed the development to journalists, on Friday, alleging that the permanent secretary inflicted severe injuries on the HOD, to the extent that she was immediately rushed to the Emergency Ward of the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital Amaku-Awka, before she was resuscitated.
Punch further reported that physical assaults had become a recurring act among top staff members in the ministry while subordinates were afraid of reporting the excesses for fear of being victimised.
The source said, “Yes, the incident happened. Everything in that story happened. I was there that day and everything happened before my face. The two of them fought over a yet-to-be-disclosed matter and the PS tried to strangle the HOD, as she held her neck for several minutes.
“It was a very chaotic moment. It took the intervention of other persons around before normalcy returned after the HOD was rushed to the hospital because she fell into a coma.”
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.
