EBSU VC: Student who killed self over repeated failure should’ve reported to us

Chigozie Ogbu, the vice-chancellor of Ebonyi State University in Abakaliki (EBSU), says Favour Ugwuka, a final-year student of the institution who recently committed suicide, should have reported to the school authorities if she was “victimised by a lecturer”. 

Last Wednesday, Ugwuka took her own life after she was said to have repeatedly failed a course.

The Department of English student was said to have passed all her courses but repeatedly failed one subject over alleged threats by the course lecturer.

But in a press briefing on Monday, Ogbu addressed some of the issues surrounding the death of Ugwuka.

The VC, while describing the student’s demise as “unfortunate”, said the deceased failed to complain to the management about her predicament.

“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,” he said.

“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 complain to the HOD or Dean and request for re-mark.

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

“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.”

Also speaking on Ugwuka’s academic performance, Ngozi Emeka-Nwobia, the Faculty of Social Science and Humanity dean, said the late student failed many courses from her first year to her final year.

“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 1st year,” she said.

“In the first Semester, she offered nine courses out of which she failed three courses and had a CGP of 1.78. In her second semester 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,;ENG 422. The bone of contention is ENG 416. In 2021, she scored 40 which is fail. She took it the second time in 2022/2023 and had 21 which is also fail.”