The Anambra State Government announced on Sunday that it would take appropriate measures to address the recent altercation and alleged “strangulation” involving the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Mrs. Chinwe Achugbu, and an unnamed female Head of Department in the ministry.
Achugbu was among the newly appointed permanent secretaries by Governor Chukwuma Soludo. Reports indicate that the altercation between the two officials occurred on Thursday, August 15, during an argument over an undisclosed issue, which reportedly escalated to the point where one of the individuals allegedly strangled the other into a state of unconsciousness.
While the exact cause of the dispute remains unclear, it was gathered that the situation was eventually brought under control by bystanders who intervened to separate the two officials, restoring calm to the ministry.
A credible source within the ministry, who requested anonymity, informed journalists on Friday that the Permanent Secretary inflicted severe injuries on the Head of Department, necessitating her immediate transfer to the Emergency Ward of the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital in Amaku-Awka, where she was resuscitated, Punch stated.
“Yes, the incident happened. Everything in that story happened. I was there that day, and it all unfolded right in front of me. The two of them got into a fight over an undisclosed matter, and the Permanent Secretary tried to strangle the Head of Department, holding her neck for several minutes,” the source revealed. “It was a very chaotic moment. It took the intervention of other persons before normalcy returned after the Head of Department was rushed to the hospital because she had fallen into a coma.”
Punch also confirmed, that another employee within the ministry confirmed the incident on the condition of anonymity, stating that the matter had not been formally reported to the appropriate authorities due to the status of those involved. “Some top officials in the ministry are attempting to sweep the matter under the rug,” the employee added.
When contacted for her reaction to the allegations, Mrs. Achugbu declined to comment, citing restrictions as a person under authority. She directed the reporter to “go and ask the Head of Service.”
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The Head of Service, Theodora Igwegbe, acknowledged awareness of the reported altercation through social media but noted that she had not yet received an official report on the incident. Igwegbe assured that actions would be taken following a thorough investigation. “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),” she explained. “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.”
Efforts to reach the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo, for her comments were unsuccessful, as calls and messages to her phone went unanswered.
Section 7 of the Public Service Rules (2021) outlines penalties for erring workers and guidelines for proper conduct, aimed at ensuring public servants maintain high standards in their duties.
