By Habibullah Temako
As the scorching sun beat down relentlessly during the fasting period, the already hot atmosphere was further exacerbated by a crippling power outage that plunged private hostels, including Benji and Shamma into darkness.
The sudden loss of electricity, which occurred in the blink of an eye, has now stretched into a grueling week-long ordeal, leaving students to suffer in unbearable conditions.
“Oh, Kìsììru! we die! this NEPA people ehnn, na God go judge them. For how long should we continue coping with this power outage amidst fasting period….wait o, is this a punishment or what,” Issa Abdul-Malik, a resistant of one of Benji hostels, cried out.
For over some days, almost closer to a week now, Issa Abdul-Malik, a 500-Level Forestry and Environment student, has been facing a daunting challenge with respect to the power outage.
The prolonged electricity blackout in his hostel has forced him to embark on long stressful places to fetch water, while also spending his little savings upkeep to charge his gadgets, all during the sacred month of Ramadan.
“It’s glaringly distressing going to a long distance place to fetch water, a situation in which lack of electricity has been putting us down for some days now.
“Imagine carrying a keg on your head with this Sokoto hot sun while fasting. As if that’s not enough, charging my gadgets with my little saving funds is what’s even paining me most,” he lamented.
Bashir Nimatallahi Opeyemi, a 100-Level English student and a resident of Benji Hostel expressed her ordeal claiming that she has never thought of experiencing lack of light inside school like this.
As a fresh student, she found this situation disquietingly troubling, especially on the light that she has paid to enjoy uninterrupted power supply, only to get what she has not bargain. The lingering blackouts.
“I am seriously finding this quite despairing. This is my first time experiencing NEPA like this in school. Yesterday, I went to fetch water in Management Science from my hostel (Benji) and when I came back I was feeling thirsty which nearly made me break my fast,” she cried.
Nimatallah further claimed that she is thinking of going to reside with a relative inside Sokoto city because she can no longer cope with the electricity blackouts, owing to the fact that she does not have the strength and energy to withstand the situation students are going through.
“If light didn’t come today, I’m going inside town to stay with my aunt until they restore it back. Because I cannot live with this pressure of going to a long distance place to fetch water. I’m very sick and tired, wallah.”
Sallah Fear Looms
As Sallah celebrations draw near, Ishaq Abdul-Tawab, a 500-Level Environmental Resource Management student, can’t shake off the feeling of dread.
“What if the blackout persists, how will I cope without electricity during the festivities?” he worries.
His concerns are palpable, and he’s not alone. Will Tawab Sallah be a festive nightmare, or will the lights come back on time? The thought of being struggling with blackouts overwhelmed him with respect to the fact that he did not see this situation coming.
Rufai Abdul-basit Adeyinka, a 100-Level Law student, echoes the same concern. According to him, Sallah will be dull without electricity. Having not bought new clothes, he hopes to iron his existing ones, but the blackout seems to have foiled his plans.
“I am not really happy about this blackouts thing…cuz I’m still thinking of what to wear. All my clothes are worn out of iron and I can’t buy new ones. My only hope is to get my old clothes iron, lest should the NEPA extend this off light,” he lamented.
More Ordeal
Aliyu Sumaiya Buro, a 300-Level Education and Biology student, vents her frustration at the apparent neglect of landlords.
“It’s heartbreaking that our landlord are leaving us to suffer in darkness during this Ramadan,” she laments, questioning their consideration for tenants’ welfare.
She further expressed her grievances with how she has been coping with the situation. As nothing seems to be done in time, she prays that the power outage should not be connected with the issue of technical problems.
“Although we don’t know when these people will restore this light, I fear that this is not connected to technical issues. I just pray oo Sha I hope there should be light anytime soon to save us the stress of carrying extension up and down looking where to charge our phones. Very unbearable!”