Displaced And Stranded: Gombe University Students Thrown Into Discomfort Over Hostel Renovation

When the Federal University, Kashere (FUK), Gombe state, decided to renovate some of its hotels, many students were elated to hear the news of rebuilding their falling residence on the campus. Others were uncertain about where next they would stay, should the school ask them to leave the apartments marked for renovation.

On May 14, the university commenced the renovation of several male hostels,  including blocks H and F. The displaced occupants of these hostels were thrown into discomfort and uncertainty about when they would have a roof over their heads. This situation has caused them to be ineffective in their academic journey.

Alamin Dauda, a 300-level International Relations student, said they acknowledge that this project is for their betterment, but the alternative hostel allocated to them is not conducive, “leaving us in a state of despair and dismay as it threatens our health and academics”.

Sometimes Dauda sleeps outside due to the heat wave and congestion as a result of poor ventilation.

Another student, Mateo Madaki, of the Mass Communication department, said he has not been stable since they were asked to leave their hostel for renovation. “At first I did not have a place to stay until I contacted someone my uncle connected me with before I was able to secure a place to stay. Since I left the hostel, I haven’t been able to cook and my luggage is scattered in different places,” he cried.

Campus Reporter contacted Aminu Umar, the supervising engineer of UHAB Global Concept, the company awarded the contract to renovate these hostels. Aminu claims the work has been moving smoothly, noting that the labourers and the carpenters are cooperating and making efforts to ensure that “we can meet our target time and we will be able to complete this project before the stipulated time for the project”.

He added that the work would be completed in 6 weeks.

But the Dean of  Student Affairs of the university, Babawuro Yahaya, said something different when Campus Reporter contacted him. We asked him why the renovation of the hotels was not done during the long holidays to avoid this discomfort for students.

“A committee was formed for this project and the contract was given, but there were no financial resources available for the project during the break, on getting the resources, the project had to commence immediately,” he said.

Asked if they issued prior notice to students before they were displaced, he said a meeting was held with the Director of Works, Abubakar Dikko, where they itemised the agenda for the project and called the attention of the hall governors to inform the students about vacating the affected hostels. 

Since block F is a 4-story building, they decided to start with the fourth floor of about 14 rooms, he said. They relocated some of the undergraduates to vacant spaces belonging to the IT/SIWES students. On the other hand, Block H is a 2-storey building and some of its occupants were relocated to the male Block J hostel located around the Kashere central mosque.

The Dean of Students’ Affairs, Dr. Babawuro Yahaya, promised the project would be completed in about 3 weeks, adding that the renovation is in phases as it affects only occupants of the 4th floor for now and once it’s done, the occupants of the 3rd floor will relocate to the renovated rooms. 

“The renovation is not supposed to affect students because it’s for their betterment,” he said. “Considering the dilapidated toilets and leaking roofs, signifying why it’s necessary to do the work now since it’s just the beginning of the semester.”

He urged the students to bear with them during this period, as it is just a temporal situation. He promised that once the hostel was done, everything would be back to normal and their day-to-day activities would be back to normal.

This story was funded by the Campus Reporter project of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) and written by 11 students of the Federal University of Kashere after Campus Reporter’s 41st campus journalism clinic held in their institution:

1. Adamu Sodangi Aliyu
2. Tabitha Emmanuel Shettima
3. Ndola Meli
4. Salahuddeen Ahmad Bose
5. Zainab Bala musa
6. ⁠Oyetoki AbdulBasit Oyeniran
7. Adeniran Bridget Adebisi
8. Ezeuche Loveth Chiemerie
9. Jane Wilson Jonah
10. Suleiman Khadija Haruna
11. Abdullahi Salisu Nagodi