Tension at Sapele Central Hospital as Administrator’s Lover beats-up Staff, Compromises Panel sets up by Government

…MD, Others watched haplessly.

Tension is currently having a field day at the Central Hospital Sapele, Delta State, following the beating to a coma of one Mr Lewis Oghueh, a hospital staff by one Mr Efe Iyanu, an alleged lover of the hospital Administrator, Mrs Caroline Azegbo, while the Medical Director of the hospital watched helplessly.

Following the misgiving and tension the incident generated, the Hospital Medical Director who is also at the center of crisis, hurriedly set-up a 5-man administrative panel to investigate the matter, however, the administrator allegedly infiltrated the panel, while boasting that nothing will come out it.

It was gathered that the panel set up by the hospital management and the Delta State Hospital Board may have been compromised, as a reliably source told us that Mrs Azegbo popularly referred to as iron-lady may have penetrated the panelist many of whom hold her great favour.

The incident which reportedly occurred on January 26th, according to our investigations has caused great uncertainty in the hospital as most of the staff wondered why the MD feels haplessly helpless to address the matter head-on, but has rather allegedly taken side with the man who assaulted his staff.

According to an inside source who crave anonymity, revealed that before the ugly incident on that faithful day, that Mr Oghueh and Mrs. Azegbo had a cordial working relationship, which many described as like mother and a son.

However, Oghueh trouble started when the hospital administrator car had battery problem and she requested that Oghueh who is incharge of the hospital generator gave Mrs. Azegbo one of the batteries, but rather than return after use, she turned it into her personal effect and all effort to make her return it failed to yield the desired result as she resorted to threat and intimidation.

Matter came to head when Mrs Azegbo rather than return the battery as requested by Oghueh, brought her lover, who has unhindered access in the hospital to beat him up when he was trying to explain what transpired to the MD.

According to the source, “Oghueh was called by the MD to come and check the battery in Mrs Azegbo’s car, but before he could say anything, Mr Efe Iyanu descended on him punching, slapping him and because it’s against the civil service rule, he couldn’t fight back as he was beaten until he almost passed out, while the MD looked on.

“He was later rushed to the emergency unit of the hospital where medical doctors treated him and was later placed on admission and was discharged after about three days on admission.

“The hope of the staff getting justice is very slim as according to the source, Mrs. Azigbo as far as Hospital Management is concerned, she is untouchable and to lead credence to this fear, she was alleged to have gone to Asaba on Monday where she used the opportunity to reach out to the members of the panel sent to Sapele to investigate the crisis.

The source added; “my brother the woman and her lover are very powerful people, even when the case of assault reported against him at the Sapele police station, nothing came out of it, rather the man is now using officers from the new Area Commander’s office to harass and intimidate the victim.

Attempts by our correspondent to speak to Mr Ogueh and Mrs Azigbo proved abortive as they decline to speak, noting that the matter is being investigated and that as civil servants, they are not authorized to speak to press.