Ebonyi varsity: We’re not responsible for final year student’s death

The management of the Ebonyi State University (EBSU) says the institution was not responsible for the death of a final year student of the Department of English and Literary Study of the institution, Favour Ugwuka.

EBSU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Chigozie Ogbu said this at a press conference on the issues surrounding Ugwuka’s death on Monday, May 27, 2024.

It would be recalled that the student was found dead at the back of her hostel at the Ishieke axis of the institution on May 22.

It was reported that the deceased allegedly committed suicide for failing a course, which made her not to graduate with her mates.

However, the Vice-Chancellor described the student’s death as “unfortunate”, noting that the deceased failed to complain to the management about her predicament.

Ogbu said: “The university has a system where if after exams, a student feels that he or she is marked down or that the lecturer is victimising him or her, the student knows what to do.

“When a student is confident that a lecturer has deliberately marked him or her down, and that she is sure that she passed the exam, what the student does is to complain to the HOD or Dean and deserve to request for re-mark.

Final year female varsity student commits suicide

“If she had been victimised by a lecturer, she should have approached the school management for complains.

“We have our Senior Staff Disciplinary Committee and if any lecturer is found victimising a student, such lecturer will definitely be sanctioned and called to order.

“The school management in collaboration with the security agencies are still investigating the incident.”

On her academic performance, the Dean of Faculty of Social Science and Humanity of the university, Prof Ngozi Emeka-Nwobia, gave the analysis of Ugwuka’s results, saying she had not been performing well from 100 level.

Emeka-Nwobia said: “I have the certify true copy of the results of Ugwuka with the registration number; EBSU/2018/89726 for the department, who registered in the year 2018/2019 and that is her first year.

“In the first Semester, she offered nine courses out of which she failed three courses and had a CGP of 1.78. In the second semester of the first year, she took eight courses. Out of the eight courses, she failed two and had a CGP of 1.75 thereby having a sessional CGP of 1.76.

“In the year 2021/2022, she took a total of 11 courses and failed two courses making a GP of 1.83. In second semester, she failed four courses making a GP of 1.18. Total CGP for the session 1.52.

“In her extra year, 2022/2023, she registered a total of six courses in first semester and she passed all. In second semester, she registered a total of six courses and failed one giving her a CGP of 2.84

“After the extra year, she had outstanding courses; ENG 224, ENG 416, and ENG 422. The bone of contention is ENG 416 in her final year. In 2021, she scored 40 which is fail. She took it the second time in 2022/2023 and had 21 which is also fail.”

The Star