The management of Ebonyi State University, Abakiliki, has broken its silence over the death of Miss Favour Ugwuka, a student of the institution.

Ugwuka, a final year student of EBSU in the Department of English Language and Literature, allegedly committed suicide in her hostel apartment on Wednesday, May 23, 2024.

Addressing journalists on Monday at the institution’s conference room, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Chigozie Ogbu, dismissed claims by the deceased that the accused lecturer was behind her failure.

Ogbu’s briefing read in part: “When a student is confident that a lecturer has deliberately marked them down, and they are sure that they passed the exam, what the student does is to complain to the HOD or Dean and request re-marking, which will be sent to the Vice Chancellor’s office.

“It is usually sent to another university to re-mark and let us know. Some of them, on very rare occasions, have returned positive, and whatever the student gets here is usually what they get from the other university after re-marking, and that is the process.

“If at the last exam, the late student felt that she was marked down by the lecturer, she would have complained to the Dean and asked for re-marking, and the paper would have been sent to another place for re-marking.

‘But from what is seen, it’s not that the student deserves to pass, and she didn’t pass. And from the record, you will find out that this is not the only course that she didn’t pass.”

Professor Ogbu further stated that, according to the certified true copy of Ugwuka Favour Chinonye’s results, with the registration number EBSU/2018/89726 for the Department of English Language and Literature, who registered in the year 2018/2019, and that is her 1st year.

In her 1st year, she offered 9 courses out of which she failed 3 courses and had a CGP of 1.78. In the 2nd semester of her 1st year, she took 8 courses, out of which she failed 2 and had a CGP of 1.75, thereby having a sessional CGP of 1.76.

Professor Ogbu continued, “In 2019/2020, which is her 2nd year, she registered a total of 10 courses. Out of the courses, she was absent in 2 courses: Intermediate English Composition (ENG 215) and Philosophy and Logic (GST 102). She was absent in the 2 courses out of the 8 she wrote, she failed 2. She had a GP of 1.41 in that 1st semester. In her 2nd semester, she registered 10 courses. Out of the 10 courses, she failed 4 and had a CGP of 1.82. Total CGP in her 2nd year is 1.62.”

The Vice Chancellor went on to detail Ugwuka’s academic performance in subsequent years, concluding that she had outstanding courses, including ENG 416, which she failed twice.