Barring a timely intervention of the Presidency and the National Assembly, the crisis between a Professor in Radiography at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Nnewi campus, Anambra State, Anthony Ugwu and the Radiographer’s Registration Board of Nigeria (RRBN) might become catastrophic.
Prof Ugwu, leader of Knight of St Mulumba, Otolo Nnewi demands immediate suspension of the RRBN registrar and full scale investigation of the activities of the Board in the petition he copied to Minister for Health, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Senate President, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).
The don alleged that after he had filed a suit against the RRBN for bringing technicians into radiography profession contrary to the Radiographer’s Act and an Appeal Court ruling, the RRBN suspended him on account of what the Board called professional misconduct.
Based on his conviction that what the Board was calling professional misconduct was not in accordance with the Act (section 23), Prof Ugwu said he filled a suit against his 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, Prof. Mark Okeji wrote a petition against me to my institution even when the parties have already joined issues in court.
“This petition forwarded 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.
“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 l am a Visiting Professor, the Registrar of the RRBN declared that l am not a member of the profession before the management of the university and other radiographers in the team, “he alleged.
He said this amounted to another round of defamation, abuse of office 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, l demand the immediate suspension of the RRBN registrar and full scale investigation of the activities of the Board, “Prof Ugwu insisted.
