The Management of Ebonyi State University (EBSU) has stated that the institution is not responsible for the death of final-year student Favour Ugwuka. The student from the Department of English and Literary Studies was found dead behind her hostel in the Ishieke area of the institution on May 22, 2024.
It is alleged that Ugwuka committed suicide after failing a course, which prevented her from graduating with her peers. Vice-Chancellor Prof. Chigozie Ogbu clarified the situation on Monday, May 27, during a press conference in Abakaliki. He described her death as “unfortunate” and noted that Ugwuka did not inform the management about her issues.
“The university has a system where if a student feels marked down or victimized by a lecturer after exams, they know what to do,” he said. “If a student is confident a lecturer has deliberately marked them down, they should complain to the HOD or Dean and request a re-mark.”
Ogbu emphasized that if Ugwuka had been victimized, she should have approached the school management. “We have our Senior Staff Disciplinary Committee, and any lecturer found victimizing a student will be sanctioned,” he added. The school management, in collaboration with security agencies, is still investigating the incident.
Prof. Ngozi Emeka-Nwobia, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, provided an analysis of Ugwuka’s academic performance. She noted that Ugwuka had struggled academically since her first year. “I have the certified true copy of Ugwuka’s results with registration number EBSU/2018/89726,” Emeka-Nwobia explained.
“In the first semester of her first year, she took nine courses and failed three, with a CGPA of 1.78. In the second semester, she took eight courses, failed two, and had a CGPA of 1.75, resulting in a sessional CGPA of 1.76. In the 2021/2022 academic year, she took 11 courses and failed two, with a CGPA of 1.83. In the second semester, she failed four courses, making a CGPA of 1.18, with a sessional CGPA of 1.52.”
“In her extra year, 2022/2023, she registered six courses in the first semester and passed all. In the second semester, she registered six courses and failed one, resulting in a CGPA of 2.84. After the extra year, she had outstanding courses: ENG 224, ENG 416, and ENG 422. The critical issue was ENG 416. In 2021, she scored 40 (a fail). She retook it in 2022/2023 and scored 21, which is also a fail.”