Anambra Govt Reacts As Perm Secretary Strangles HOD During A Fight

The Anambra State Government responded on Sunday, August 25, to an altercation that occurred between the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Mrs. Chinwe Achugbu, and a Head of Department identified as Mrs. Nkem.

Mrs. Achugbu, who was appointed as Permanent Secretary in March 2024 by Governor Chukwuma Soludo, reportedly got into a physical confrontation with Mrs. Nkem at work on Thursday, August 15. The dispute arose during an argument over an undisclosed matter.

Reports allege that during the altercation, Mrs. Achugbu strangled Mrs. Nkem, leaving her in a coma. The incident, which took place at the ministry’s office located in the Dora Akunyili Development Centre, required the intervention of the state Commissioner of Women Affairs, Mrs. Ify Obinabo, to temporarily restore peace.

Due to the severity of her injuries, Mrs. Nkem was rushed to the Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, also known as Amaku General Hospital, for emergency treatment.

Sources have indicated that physical altercations among staff in the ministry have occurred multiple times in the past.

Meanwhile, the Head of Service, Theodora Igwegbe, acknowledged that she had learned about the incident through social media but had not yet received an official report. Igwegbe assured that an investigation would be conducted once a formal report is filed, as required by Section 7, Chapter 10 of the Public Service Rules (2021).

“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 the rules,” Igwegbe said. “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.”