'I Will Protect You with My Life' — Prof. Omenugha Makes Personal Pledge to COOU Students Against Abuse and Exploitation

It was a moment that stopped the room. In the middle of an Interdenominational Service, the Vice-Chancellor of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University rose and made a pledge that was as personal as it was institutional. "As my honour as a mother," Prof. Kate Azuka Omenugha declared, "I will protect you with my life if anyone abuses you." The audience responded immediately and the moment captured something that goes to the heart of her leadership style.

Prof. Omenugha made the declaration on Thursday, April 23, 2026, while addressing students at the Interdenominational Service held at the ETF Auditorium, Igbariam Campus, as part of activities marking Day Two of the university's 16th Convocation Week. Her remarks came in direct response to concerns raised during the homily about incidents of student abuse and exploitation and she did not deflect, minimise, or offer bureaucratic reassurance. She responded as a leader who means what she says.

The Vice-Chancellor was unequivocal: her administration operates a zero-tolerance policy on all forms of misconduct directed at students, whether by lecturers, administrative staff, or any other member of the university community. Anyone found guilty of abusing or exploiting a student, she stated firmly, will face strict disciplinary consequences regardless of rank, relationship, or proximity to leadership.

She also emphasised her personal accessibility, urging students not to suffer in silence. The Vice-Chancellor is open to receiving complaints, and she assured the gathering that once a report reaches her, swift and decisive action will follow. Students were encouraged to speak up, knowing that the administration at the top is not only willing to listen but is actively committed to acting on what it hears.

For many in the auditorium, the pledge was more than a policy restatement. It was the declaration of a Vice-Chancellor who sees herself not merely as an administrator but as a guardian and who intends to hold that responsibility with everything she has.

©️COOUNewS, 2026