OAU Campus Journalists Challenge Management On Conditions Of On-Campus Private Hostels

The Association of Campus Journalists at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, (ACJOAU) has called on the authorities of the school to immediately check the deplorable conditions of the private hostels on campus, commonly called Maintenance Hall, where accommodation space costs average of one hundred thousand naira.

ACJOAU made the demand via  statement signed by the association’s President, Okeowo Olasunkanmi; the General Secretary, Seun Ibrahim; and the Public Relations Officer, Oye Ola Oladimeji, and obtained by  CAMPUS REPORTER on Tuesday.

The body noted that its call was based on the outcries of the occupants of maintenance hostels about the horrible state of the pocket-tearing hostels which are owned by the management and private individuals.

According to the body, a few number of the occupants narrated their ordeals anonymously because of the fear of victimization by the caretakers of the hostel “who in connection with the school authorities are exploiting the students.”

An occupant of De Gold hostel, one of the hostels in maintenance said despite the incessant increment in the hostel fee, from N75,000 to N95,000 and now N105,000, though it’s two persons in a room, there is no maintenance as many of the appliances are not in good condition.

“Our fans are not working since we packed in likewise the WC in the toilets. The building materials used are substandard, the roofs leak and despite meeting with the owner about the state of the hostel there is no development,” the student said.

However, CAMPUS REPORTER gathered that the sorry state of the hostel is not peculiar to De Gold hostel alone, as occupants of the Bver hostel also revealed the state of their “block”

An occupant who simply identified herself as Bisi was quoted as saying: “the pumping machine is not working and there is no action about it, even after series of consultation with the management of the hostel. The hostel fee which was initially N75,000 is now N85,000 yet there is no maintenance in maintenance hall.  no measure has been taken.

“The  toilets pipe has broken which makes the place polluted, lastly we’ve been warned to pay before resumption and not complain about the poor welfare, hence we will meet our loads out of the hostel when we resume from the end of the year break.”

Also, Stella Odeyemi Hostel is not left out in this mess, as occupants there also expressed their displeasure.

“The hostel is registered with the school management yet we are treated like second class citizens. There is no water in our hostel, we paid N120,000 last year, and now it’s N140,000, but unfortunately there is no maintenance.

“Out of the four tanks of water we have only one functioning, and the functioning one can’t serve the whole hostel. Yet, they are planning to  increase the rent to N160,000 next year January.

“Sometimes the sockets work, but light and fans are not. A room is charged N320,000, and the two occupants are to share the bill, and once they realise you have graduated they send you packing even when your rent is not due,” an occupant was quoted as saying.

So, ACJOAU asked OAU  management to on-campus private accommodation market and make rules binding on operators of the hostels to the effect best services are available to the students.