A contempt proceeding has been initiated against Nigeria’s Minister of State for Health over alleged disobedience to a subsisting court order directing the reinstatement of Prof. Monday Igwe as Medical Director of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Enugu.
Also joined in the contempt suit is the hospital’s Medical Director, Dr. Unaogu Ngozika, who is accused of remaining in office despite a court judgment nullifying her appointment.
The duo are alleged to have disobeyed an order of the National Industrial Court which directed the immediate reinstatement of Prof. Igwe as Medical Director.
The National Industrial Court, Abuja Division, had earlier nullified the appointment of Dr. Unaogu as Medical Director of the hospital and ordered the reinstatement of Prof. Monday Igwe after declaring the earlier termination of his appointment null and void.
Recall that Justice E. D. Subilim of the National Industrial Court, Abuja, on December 11, 2025, delivered judgment ordering the reinstatement of Prof. Igwe after ruling that the termination of his appointment was unlawful and also nullifying the appointment of Dr. Unaogu Ngozi.
The court held that the termination of Prof. Monday Igwe’s appointment did not follow the laid down disciplinary procedure.
It also ruled that the appointment of Dr. Unaogu Ngozi during the pendency of the suit, in which she was a party, rendered the appointment a nullity.
However, several months after the judgment was served on the defendants, they are yet to comply with the court’s orders.
Counsel to the plaintiff, Mr. Michael O. Okorie, Esq., told the court that Ngozi Unaogu “has continued to perform the functions of office, including awarding contracts, bank transactions, staff appointments and other official functions despite her appointment having been declared a nullity with the legal effect that contractors and bankers dealing with her are doing such at their own peril, especially as the said judgment has not been stayed by any order for stay of execution.”
Okorie has consequently filed and served Form 48 — Notice of Consequence of Disobedience of Court Orders — against the Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and Unaogu.
According to the lawyer, “the Minister of State is the supervising minister who issues/conveys/signs appointment letters to the Medical Director of the Hospital on behalf of the President.
“It is time for the Minister of State to reassess his legal team at the Ministry so that they do not end up misleading him into running foul of the law which he has sworn to protect as public servant.”
Meanwhile, court documents obtained by our correspondent show that the contempt proceeding was initiated pursuant to Order IX, Rule 13(1-3) of the Judgment (Enforcement) Rules, Section 72 of the Sheriff and Civil Process Act, 2004, and Order 63 of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (Civil Procedure).
The notice reads: “TAKE NOTICE that unless you obey the directions contained the order of the National Industrial Court, Abuja Division delivered on the 11th December, 2025 which declared null and void the termination of appointment of the Applicant, Prof. Monday Igwe, nullified the appointment of DR. UNAOGU NGOZICHUKWU NNEKA as the MEDICAL DIRECTOR, FEDERAL NEUROPSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL, ENUGU, ENUGU STATE, and ordered the re-instatement of Prof. Monday Igwe as the Medical Director of the FEDERAL NEUROPSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL, ENUGU, ENUGU STATE, and also, ordered the payment of the arrears of salary to Prof. Monday Igwe, you will be guilty of contempt of Court and will be liable to be committed to prison. A copy of the said order of court earlier served on you is hereby annexed for your on-the-spot reference.
“This Court has been informed that as at today, Tuesday, 14th April, 2026 that DR. UNAOGU NGOZICHUKWU NNEKA has continued to perform functions of the office of the MEDICAL DIRECTOR, FEDERAL NEUROPSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL, ENUGU, ENUGU STATE while Prof. Monday Igwe has not been reinstated to office in utter disregards to the subsisting orders of this Honourable Court which execution has not been stayed.”
Our correspondent reports that Unaogu is not new to contempt proceedings.
Last year, she was committed to prison by an Enugu State High Court presided over by Justice E.M. Egumgbe.
The court had, among other things, granted a perpetual injunction restraining the hospital management from further scrutinising the credentials of Mr. Afam Ndu, the suspended Acting Principal of the School of Basic Psychiatric Nursing of the hospital.
After reviewing the matter, the court ruled that Mr. Ndu had completed his NYSC and was properly employed, granting a perpetual injunction against further harassment or inquiry on the subject.
It found that both the then Acting Medical Director, Unaogu, and the Head of Clinical Services disobeyed the court order when the first contemnor, Dr. Ngozi Unaogu, constituted a senior staff committee headed by her to further scrutinize the NYSC discharge certificate, which she claimed was based on a directive from the office of the Federal Minister of Health and Social Welfare.
In its ruling, the court held that the constitution of the senior staff committee by the Acting Medical Director amounted to a flagrant disobedience of a valid court order and consequently committed the duo to prison, ordering that they remain detained until there was absolute compliance with the judgment delivered on December 10, 2021.
Unaogu now faces a fresh risk of returning to prison following another alleged contempt of court.
