Coal City University, Enugu, has dismissed allegations that it owes staff salary arrears or experienced a six-month staff strike, describing the claims as false, misleading, and without any factual basis.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Afam Icha Ituma, made the clarification during a press conference in Enugu, where he addressed recent media reports concerning the institution.

According to him, the university has consistently paid staff salaries and has never owed its employees outstanding wages.

“Staff salaries have been paid consistently, and the university does not owe any salary arrears to its employees. Furthermore, there has never been any staff strike action in the history of the university,” Ituma stated.

He described the reports as a deliberate attempt to misrepresent the true situation and damage the institution’s reputation.

The Vice-Chancellor also addressed the June 10 incident involving a student and a staff member, explaining that the university responded promptly in accordance with its internal procedures before the matter gained public attention.

He disclosed that management immediately suspended the staff member and students directly involved in the incident and subsequently constituted a Review Committee to investigate the matter and make recommendations.

According to him, claims that the university only acted after external pressure are inaccurate, stressing that disciplinary measures were initiated immediately after the incident occurred.

Ituma further revealed that the student at the centre of the incident is a beneficiary of the university’s scholarship programme but emphasized that the student’s status would not influence the outcome of the investigation.

He said the Review Committee had been mandated to carry out a fair, objective, and transparent investigation, while the university had also commenced a broader review of its policies on student welfare, staff conduct, conflict resolution, and campus safety.

The Vice-Chancellor added that the institution’s legal team had been instructed to seek a retraction and corrective action over what it described as inaccurate reports.

He urged members of the public to rely only on verified information released through the university’s official communication channels.