The Vice Chancellor of the Delta State University, Delsu, Abraka, Professor Andy Egwunyenga, has faulted report alleging that the institution collected N4,000 from students over production of a non-existent school magazine, saying it was nothing but mere fallacy.
Prof Egwunyenga, who issued a press statement through the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Eddy Agbure, debunked the report while reacting to the publication credited to an Online newspaper, SaharaReporters, describing the report as untrue and cheap blackmail to destroy the image of the institution.
The online newspaper had early this week alleged that Delsu Vice Chancellor and the Bursar exploited the students of N4,000 for the production of magazine which they said they never saw any day.
Prof. Egwunyenga while condemning the report in its entirety, said the publication was false, baseless and unfounded, pointing out that his administration has always had cordial relationship with the media but that it will not be enough to start cooking fabricated story about the institution to a level of cheap blackmail without proper investigation of facts before before publication.
Prof. Egwunyenga said, “I stopped criminal exploitation of Delsu students by persons who claimed to be journalists that published a “Delsu at 25 magazine in 2020” when the University is almost 30.
“The magazine publication was outdated, unnecessary and useless and no amount of blackmail will make the University be part of it. And those behind the purported publication to discredit my name and that of the institution for their selfish gains are nothing but disgrace to journalism profession.
“The institution will not hesitate to sue whoever that takes to journalism of destruction and cheap blackmail without considering the rules of the game and ethics that guides the practice of the journalism profession which is fair and balance reportage.
“The institution and the media has maintained a good working relationship over the years, but that does not in any way gives anyone the room to ridicule the name of the institution by dragging the school to the mud over a cooked story, that my administration will never entertain, rather we will resort to taking legal steps to address the issue.
“The institution will spare no media house finds wanton of such libelous story without carrying out a thorough investigation of the issues at hand before rushing to the press for publication and I will never join issues with those criminals.”
No Comments