There is tension in the Agbani Campus of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, Agbani, Enugu, following the alleged mysterious deaths of students of the institution.
It was gathered that many students have died in mysterious circumstances within the last few weeks, a development that forced the National Association of the Nigerian Students (NANS) to demand the immediate shut down of the institution.
Reacting, the Enugu State government described the report as distorted.
According to a statement issued by the coordinator of NANS, Zone F, Southeast, Comrade Chidi Nzekwe, titled: ‘Call to shutdown Enugu State University Of Science & Technology (ESUT) immediately,’ was obtained by our correspondent in Enugu.
The statement reads, “The leadership of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Zone F- Southeast, expresses our deepest concern and utmost dismay over the frequent and tragic death of our students in Enugu State University Of Science and Technology (ESUT).
“Our investigations have shown a high level of negligence on the part of the school administration, ranging from non-functional student clinics, which is a major factor for the unfortunate death of our students.
“In the light of these disturbing findings, the leadership of NANS Zone F has taken the decision to order the immediate shutdown of the institution from tomorrow being 24th of August 2023, till further notice.
“This action is necessary to allow us to engage in extensive meetings with relevant stakeholders, including the university management, medical experts, security agencies and student representatives.
“Failure to shutdown the institution with immediate effect, we will be compelled to escalate our actions and the university management should get ready to contend with the armless battalion army of Nigerian students in the zone.
“The leadership of NANS Zone F is committed to protecting the rights and welfare of Nigerian students.
Similarly, a staff of the university, who preferred anonymity, confirmed the strange deaths, disclosed that the Enugu State Government was already on top of the situation.
Report fallacious–ESUT management
Reacting to the development, the Public Relations Officer of ESUT, Mr. Ikechukwu Ezianioma described the reports as mendacious and fallacious, saying it was meant to tarnish the image of the university.
He, however, said that the state government had waded into the matter with the governor, Dr. Peter Mbah dispatching the Secretary to the State Government, Prof Chidiebere Onyia and the Commissioner for Health, Ikechukwu Obi to the university to get the firsthand information about what transpired.
The Dean, Student Affairs, ESUT, Prof. Jude Udenta, while also reacting said contrary to the claims in the public statements by NANS that the students died in the university environment, only one of them was an on campus student and died outside the premises of the institution.
He added that while some of the deceased students died of generator fumes, “about the remaining two cases, still under investigation, they were said to have died of certain undisclosed ailments which they tried to tackle, in town, through self- medication.
“The last student that reportedly died over the last weekend, died as a result of a road mishap, in a yet to be confirmed location. He was a piper and instrumentalist and died while returning from his chores. It is noteworthy that this latest case was the only one among the deceased that was an on-campus student, the rest were Off – Campus.”
The university management, however, stated it had reached out to pastors asking for forgiveness and for divine intervention in regard to an end to such tragedies.”
We’re concerned about the welfare of students — Enugu govt
Speaking when he led a team of government officials to the university, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said the government was genuinely concerned about the welfare of students, hence the decision to go beyond the report of the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Emmanuel Obi, who was earlier directed to do a sting investigation of the institution and its medical facility, to additionally visit the institution for a firsthand assessment of the situation.
“The governor is concerned and has asked that we come here for a preliminary fact-finding mission concerning what we have read on the social media, and a few of them were also communicated to us directly as regards the concerns they have about the medical facilities.
“He has asked us to find out what is going on with the state of the facilities and the veracity of a few comments made on social media through the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS). So, we have decided as a government, to visit, to make sure that we are open to getting information from students, and from the citizens generally”.
On his part, the commissioner for health, Prof Emmanuel Obi, described the rumour of students’ deaths inside the university campus as one of unverified reports on social media, stressing that people, who had no experience with health, rushed to the social media to push the falsehood.
Prof. Obi further revealed that his infodemic team at the Ministry of Health swung into a sting investigative operation immediately after what turned out to be fake news of the death of students broke.
He appealed to members of the public to eschew fake news and equally desist from claiming expertise in areas they lacked knowledge.
When The Nation contacted the state Commissioner for Health, Ikechukwu Obi, an unidentified aide responded that the commissioner was busy with meetings and urged our correspondent to send text messages.
Our correspondent sent a text message but as of the time of filing this report, no response had been received from the state government.
