Ekiti University students lament shortage of toilets

Students of the Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado Ekiti, have lamented the absence of clean and adequate toilets on their campus.

Many of them say they now resort to open defecation.

In places where there are toilets, CAMPUS REPORTER gathered that these are not managed.

“You can’t find any toilets usable on campus. You have to prepare yourself from home before coming to school. You watch the kind of food you eat, except you want to use ‘shot put,’” Mercy Olowofela, a 200-level student of the university told CAMPUS REPORTER.

Other students blamed the unavailability of usable toilets on campus on the university management.

Students’ nightmare

Ridwan Taiwo said in some departments, ”there they have toilets, no proper cleaning is done which makes students abandon them.”

“The available toilets don’t have cleaners to fix them. Some have not been washed and makes students even scared of contaminating disease,” he said.

For Kehinde, a 400-level student of Faculty of Law, the unavailability of water to flush the toilets in her department render those toilets useless.

“How do you use toilets without water to flush? The entire University has two boreholes. Lack of potable water is another challenge that makes students suffer,” he said.

Shade Olaonipekun said: “Yes, there is no toilet for students, but I go to the office of some of our lecturers. The Dean of Faculty of Social Science, out of generosity built (a) toilet for the department but (it is) not properly managed which renders it useless,” she said.

Some female students also narrated the difficulties they face during their menstrual circles.

“Unfortunately, I don’t bother coming to school at all during my period because there is no good toilet to clean myself,” a final year student, who did not want her name in print, said.

Another student, who simply identified herself as Blessing shared the same experience with CAMPUS REPORTER.

Having observed the challenges of students of the university, the National Association of Science Students (NASS) in EKSU constructed a block of two toilets at the department, CAMPUS REPORTER learnt.

“In Faculty of Science, the faculty constructed toilet but for business purpose. You pay N20 to urinate and N50 to defecate,” Ajayi Komolafe said.

CAMPUS REPORTER also visited the toilet to discover that it was truly built by the association.

“The money they charge is for maintenance of the toilets. Since the university management did not find the toilets as one of the amenities needed in a school, the students’ body did an alternative, and for proper maintenance, they have to charge students,” Mr Komolafe added.

Management unaware

When contacted, the university’s Dean of Students’ Affairs, Wole Adebayo, said he is not aware of the situation.

Mr Adebayo, a professor, told CAMPUS REPORTER he could not confirm ”whether there are toilets or not on campus for students use”.

“Well, if students are staying they don’t have toilets, we have to contact the works department for that. They are the ones in charge of that,” he said.

“Before buildings are approved for use, there should be toilet facilities… Let me ask the work department in my own office. I have a toilet that I use and allow students who come around to use,” he said.

Mr Adebayo added: “I built a toilet in Faculty of Social Sciences for students when I was the dean there. I know what you are talking about.”

In the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey done in Nigeria by UNICEF in 2016/2017, Nigeria was ranked second highest in the prevalence of open defecation globally.

The report says 25 per cent of Nigerians defecate openly and only three LGAs in the country are open-defecation free.