MOUAU VC Decries Low Admission Quota, Denies COVID-19 Outbreak

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

The Vice-chancellor of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike (MOUAU), Prof Maduebibisi Ofo Iwe, has decried the low number of students offered admission into the institution by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), describing it as “grossly inadequate.”

He expressed his displeasure over the admission quota in his address at the 28th matriculation ceremony of MOUAU, during which the fresh students were formally received into the institution.

According to him, the total admission quota allowed by JAMB for MOUAU this academic session was 5,127, including regular and direct entry candidates.

He further stated that in the 2020/2021 academic session, JAMB allocated a 4,522 admission quota for students to pursue different programmes at MOUAU even when the institution can take in more students.
“This figure is grossly inadequate when compared with the teeming population of candidates seeking admission into the University,” the VC said.

However, he noted that the university had no choice but to comply with the JAMB allocation given the prevailing circumstances.

The MOUAU chief executive charged the new students to strictly abide by the moral code of the institution and uphold its core values that staff and students were required to adopt.

He stressed that MOUAU had zero tolerance to cultists, threatening to expel students found to be members of cult groups.

“Furthermore, if you were initiated before you arrived here, you have an opportunity to totally renounce cultist and repudiate it,” he added.

Meanwhile, the institution debunked social media reports claiming that two students died of COVID-19 infection due to an outbreak.

While admitting that two students of the institution died recently, the management clarified that the deaths were “completely unrelated” and had nothing to do with any outbreak of any disease.

The clarification was contained in a statement issued by the public relations officer of the University, Adanma Odefa, disclosing a female student died from complications arising from “botched abortion” while a male student died after collapsing on the walkway.

“The vice-chancellor of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, and the management are appalled at recent attempts to spread panic within the University community with false reports of an imaginary pandemic killing students,” she said.

According to the MOUAU spokesperson, “a female student whose identity we will not disclose out of respect for her family, was a new intake. Unfortunately, she had procured an abortion from a quack, resulting in fatal complications.”

The statement added: “The second unfortunate death was of a student who collapsed on the walkway and was rushed to the university clinic. When he was brought in, he had no pulse, and his vital signs were failing. He was promptly loaded into the university’s ambulance and rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, where he was declared dead.”

“The management is deeply saddened by the loss of these young lives and heartily condoles with their families,” the school added.