Fresh crisis is brewing at the Federal University, Oye Ekiti, Ekiti State over the sudden death of Falana Blessing, a fresh student of the institution, on Thursday.
Late Falana was of the Department of Social Demography and Statistics and was reported to be a sickle cell patient, who was on medication before her admission into the institution.
However, as a part of the requirements for her registration, she was to undergo a medical test at the school’s health centre.
A student, who confided in our correspondent, disclosed that the test conducted on her at the school’s health centre made a wrong diagnosis and declared her an AS.
The source said: “Crisis set in and this weakened her and she was rushed to the health centre where a further test carried out by a superior officer confirmed her as a sickle cell patient.
“But things had gone worse as she passed on a few minutes after she was rushed to the hospital.”
The diseased’s untimely death was said to have angered the students of the institution who immediately mobilised for a showdown with the school.
However, the prompt response of school’s security operatives and those of the police saved the situation from degenerating.
The students accused the management of “deliberately” killing their colleague and vowed to drag the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Isaac Azuzu, before court to explain what was responsible for the death of the student.
They accused the school’s mangement of poor funding of the health centre, saying the centre lacked essential drugs capable of treating critical ailments.
A student said: “I don’t know why the school’s management has not deemed it fit to allow us to unionise to enable our union fight our cause.”
However, Azuzu, denied the culpability of the University in the death of the student.
He said: “For the records, the deceased was a sickler. She had crisis and was rushed into the University Health Centre where she unfortunately gave up the ghost after medical attempts failed to rescue the situation. There was no case of wrong diagnosis.
“The university is actually mourning the deceased who was expected to matriculate on February 6 2015.”
Meanwhile, the management of the institution has set up a panel to try 15 members of staff suspected to be leaders of a protest staged against the vice chancellor sometimes in December last year.
The staff had gone on the rampage accusing Azuzu of maladministration, highhandedness and denying staff of their entitlements.
Initially, the 15 were said to have vowed not to appear before the panel, accusing the school of victimisation since all the staff took part in the protest.
Also, Azuzu said there was no iota of truth in the story that some staff of the University were being hunted over their participation in any protest,
Azuzu said: “There is no truth in the allegation that leaders of the December protests are being victimized. There is no case of victimization of staff in FUOYE. Anybody making this spurious claim should also produce evidence.”
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