By Fathiu Jimoh
After a demanding day of lectures, Ibrahim Usmanu Ayinde, a 200-level Law student, decided to visit a friend residing in the ’80K’ private hostel on campus. Braving the scorching midday sun, intense enough to roast corn, he hurried from his residence.
Upon arrival, Ibrahim was taken aback by the deplorable state of the hotel’s soak-away system. For a facility commanding such a hefty price, he was astonished to find the soak-away going open like an elephant grave. He questioned why the caretakers had neglected such a critical problem even after collecting huge fee from students each session.
Approaching his friend’s room, Ibrahim disgust deepened. He couldn’t make sense of how someone would pay a premium to live amidst such hazardous conditions posing significant risks of injury. Expressing his concerns, he remarked, saying, “The toilet’s depth and location posed a significant danger to residents, especially at night.”
Within minutes, Ibrahim witnessed a near-tragic incident. “Someone almost fell into the open soak-away, unaware of the lurking hazard.” He said, with his face showing the gravity of the situation he had encountered.
Despite being regarded as one of the premium hostels on campus, this glaring neglect of caretakers has raised serious concerns.
Zainab, a 300-level Zology student, highlighted the severity of the situation, citing three instances where individuals nearly fell into the soak-away while distracted by their phones or engaged in a phone conversations nearby.
She emphasized that the exposed soak-away not only poses a physical danger but also contributes to air pollution, affecting both campus residents and those in surrounding hostels like Benji and Shama.
“People leaving there and those around Benji and other villagers are also affected by this open soak-away, causing air pollution to the whole environment.”
Exposed Soak Away, Path to Heaven
Beyond the campus, the ramifications of such negligence are are obvious. Abdullahi Mashood, a final year Physics student, was a victim who had experience fracture as a result of the deplorable state of the 80K’s soak-away.
“I suffered severe injuries in my both legs after falling into the soak-away,” he recounted, “The incident was particularly gruesome, resulting me to a significant lost of blood.”
Similarly, Yusuf Muhammad, a 300-level English student, expressed that the state of the soak-away is a deadly trap caused by the students nonchalant attitude.
“The soak-away toilet’s excessive depth can be attributed to the habits of residents living in the 80k hostel.” He explained, “The toilet’s proximity to the tap water area means that most of the wastewater flows into it.”
However, despite all the warmings from Civil Engineering experts last year. Residents of 80K hostel remain deaf ears. They still place heavy objects on incomplete buildings, terraces, and soak-away toilets, which had added to the spoiling of the toilet.
‘I am Not Aware’—Dean Private Hostel
The Dean of Private Hostels, Professor Shehu Yahaya Tsagem, acknowledged his prior Unawareness of the issue. “I am not aware of this issues earlier,” he exclaimed.
After consulting with the hostel’s Caretaker, Mallam Sanusi, he assured the Dean that repairs would commence by the following Tuesday, urging residents to report such hazardous promptly.
The Dean also added that Mallam Sanusi had promised to put everything in place. “Measures had been taken three days prior,” he assured residents that repairs would be completed within the week.