The Dean, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Prof. Cajetan Onyedum, has said he had no prior knowledge of the issues which led to protests by medical students at the Enugu Campus. Onyedum said this on Saturday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on the protest that disrupted activities at the Enugu Campus of the college on Nov. 23.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some students of the college shut down the Enugu Campus of the college while protesting over two months power outage in their hostels. During the protest, the students said they informed the dean of their predicament but he did nothing about it.
However, Onyedum described the allegation as unfounded and a misinformation that could have arisen from mistaken identity. The dean said that he had never engaged the medical students in such an interaction as his position is purely academics.
According to him, he will not have been involved in matters relating to students’ hostels.
“I was embarrassed seeing my name in the news as having interacted with the students regarding the power challenge in their hostels. That was misinformation taken too far. The students did not possibly know the difference between my office and that of the dean students’ affairs”
“By the responsibilities attached to my office, I deal majorly with the students on issues of academics and I am always open to dialogue on all students’ matters notwithstanding,” he said.
Onyedum said that the clarification became necessary as someone could have been on a mission to tarnish his reputation.
The dean appealed to the students not to bring the college to disrepute and to always be sure of the information they send out.