The long age crisis rocking the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu took another twist as the nursing students of the health institution have dragged the management to court.

This is coming few days after the nurses carried put a protest in the school with a mock coffin after the management failed to register them for the Nursing Council examination.

Trouble started after the students could not write their council examinations owing to the management’s alleged inability to pay for the requisite accreditation fees and refusal to release N600,000 they contributed for the nurses’ community psychiatric posting, a requirement for their final nursing and midwifery council examination.

News Express reports that the suit filed before the National Industrial Court, Enugu Division, with number NICN/E/36/2018 has Obi Chibuike Otito and Amadi Chizoma as claimants, on behalf of other students.

Joined as defendants are the Medical Director of the Hospital, Dr. Jojo Onwukwe, and Dr. Andrew Orovwigho.

The students are among other reliefs, praying the court for “General/aggravated damages of five million naira (N5,000,000.00) for loss of time, academic years, strictures and discomfitures.

“An order of this Honorable court directing the 1st defendant to stay all actions aimed at imposing the 2nd defendant as the Head of Training and Research by ousting Dr. Bakare out of office as the current Head of Training and Research, Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital Enugu without due process thereby subverting and destabilizing the administration and management of School of Mental Health Nursing, Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital Enugu, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

“An order of this Honorable court directing the defendants, their cohorts, surrogates and other principal/administrative officers of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital Enugu not to foment any industrial strife, frictions or dissensions capable of causing industrial disharmony or a total collapse of academic and routine labour activities at the School of Nursing, Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

“An order restraining the defendants acting by themselves, agents, cohorts or surrogates from further harassment, intimidation or any sort or victimization of any of the plaintiffs, staff and students of the School of Mental Health Nursing, Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital Enugu, consequent upon this present suit pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.”

The claimants told the court that saves the board of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital Enugu or as contained in the Act establishing the Psychiatric Hospitals, “the 1st defendant has no right whatsoever under any law or the institution’s organogram to alter, change, or unilaterally modify the system of administration in the School.”

No date has been fixed for hearing the matter.

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