By Zika Bobby
The family of the late Favour Ugwuka has demanded N200 million from the Vice-Chancellor of the Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, over alleged breach of the deceased’s private data.
The late Ugwuka’s parents, Ifeanyichukwu and Ifeyinwa, through their lawyers, Nnamdi Oragwu and Adeyinka Abdulsalam of Punuka Attorneys & Solicitors, also demanded an apology from the university’s authorities. They called for an investigative panel to conduct a public inquiry into the student’s death, which the family’s local counsel, Valentine Akwuba, would attend and make representations.
The family claimed their daughter committed suicide due to the alleged discriminatory acts of Prof. Amechi Uneke Enyi against her, which the don denied. The family demanded that appropriate disciplinary action be taken against the professor if the tribunal finds him guilty of misconduct.
It asked the university to employ the services of an independent lecturer/consultant to reassess the scripts of all the students in Prof. Enyi’s class, including the deceased’s script, to ensure an unbiased appraisal. The family demanded N20 million from the university to cover the deceased’s funeral expenses and other ancillary costs.
“Take further notice that if the university fails or refuses to comply with these demands, we have the instruction and authority of our clients to employ all the available legal means to enforce our clients’ rights against the university and, indeed, Prof. Enyi. We firmly believe that the university, upholding its reputation for excellence, will make the right decision,” the lawyers wrote in a letter dated June 3, 2024.
The family insisted that the deceased suffered continuous harassment and discrimination from Prof Enyi, resulting in the imposition of an extra year to complete her degree. Late Ugwuka paid fees for an additional year, but she, again, did not pass Prof. Enyi’s course. Before she committed suicide, she accused the professor of discriminating against her. The university publicised the deceased’s year-on-year results, which the family said was a flagrant breach of her right to privacy and the dignity of the human person.
“We are reliably informed that these results are not accurate. The deceased’s results further validate that she passed all her courses, except Prof. Enyi’s course. This, alone, ought to have grounded an additional reason to prompt the university’s formal inquiry into the circumstances leading to the deceased’s death, despite Prof. Enyi’s denial,” the lawyers wrote.
The family’s position was that the university prematurely took a position devoid of a dispassionate examination of the issues. It, therefore, asked the university to meet its demands within 14 days, which includes a public apology for the flagrant breach of the deceased’s privacy and right to the dignity of the human person, to be posted on its official website, relevant social media platforms and national newspapers. However, Enyi, a Department of English and Literary Studies professor, denied the allegations. He claimed he barely knew the deceased and had no reason to fail her.
Prof. Enyi said: “It is not true that her death is related to academic issues. I don’t see how somebody who was not victimised, someone who failed an exam, will decide to take her own life.”
He said the deceased’s mum had called him to complain about witch-hunting her daughter.
“I tried telling the mother that she could write a petition against me; she could investigate and then the right process would be followed. A panel could be set up to investigate the allegations and accusations, but she did not listen. I told her that I never made any demands from her daughter and barely knew the girl. And from the day the exam was written, I never saw her till the results were uploaded. So, what will be my reason to victimise any student? If there is a case of victimisation, there is an established procedure for handling such in the university.
“There have been instances of people calling for their papers and the recalled paper will be re-marked elsewhere. So that is it. For me, once I have uploaded my result, I have concluded with the examination. If you pass, that means you passed. And I don’t think that someone who has passed can fail, for what reason? It is very unfortunate, but, definitely, her death has nothing to do with that course.”