Muheeb Mashood reports
The end of semester is a cloud-nine period for the students of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto. The time elation had engulfed their hearts; envisioned their fantasy break as the busy brains began heartening.
Honaorlapo Jamiu is one of the students who chose to enjoy days with his relatives after the long-term stress of the academic sally.
“My enchantment with going home isn’t restricted to semester holidays. My joy has no limit.” These are the words of the 300-level student from Faculty of Art and Islamic Studies (FAIS), Department of History.”
Harking back to the students who traveled home to enjoy the colorful celebration of the last Eid-el-Kabir festival, Honarorlapo was one of them—amidst preparation for Continuous Assessments (CAs) and examinations.
In a no-hold-barred interview, Jamiu, another student whose hostility of Sokoto’s environment accounts for his temptation with home, like many other students noted that Sokoto weather is like a hell to him.
His words: “Whenever the school declares a holiday, make sure you go home because this Sokoto is like a living hell. My parents help me to achieve this because it’s my happiness that matters to them and my joy is to go home.”
“Home is Calling”— the Trend Among UDUS Students
Makanjuola Korede Olamilekan is a 200-Level student from the Department of Political Science and one of the home-calling students. To him, the exhaustion of foodstuffs, hostile weather and the likes are the fascinating factors that force him to spend his break off from school.
Speaking further, he stressed that infight security during the school session frightened him to protect his life and property against unforeseen circumstances when the school is emptied.
However, Makanjuola recounted how one of his friends was attacked by unknown raiders and took away his valuable possessions: phones and earphones at the Faculty of Engineering before the end of semester. Thus, he left with the imagination of how the campus would be when almost every student left the school premises.
Seeking remedy to the above threat, Olamilekan raised #13,000 to buy his safety; traveled to his hometown, Osun state, despite hike in fare due to removal of fuel subsidy.
His words: “I went home due to security reasons: the school is not secure. Even during the examination, one of my friends was attacked and all his phones and earphones were collected – despite the fact that we were many in school at that time. Compared to when everyone had gone home.
“Foodstuffs have already finished. The weather is not conducive for anything, not even conducive for learning, I am just enduring it.”
Also,Ibitoye Sulaiman, another home addict prefers not to stay in school during the semester break irrespective of any hindrance.
The 300 level law student found Sokoto’s 28.3 °C (82.9 °F) average temperature to be extremely unbearable to him—thereby detrimental to his health and well-being.
Expanding on his viewpoint, he sought refuge from extortion of the school foodstuffs’ sellers as a result of overpricing. Going home is a great privilege for him to restock his exhausted foodstuffs.
Speaking, he added that spending his break at home is an avenue to reunite with his beloved families.
“Sokoto is in the extreme Northwest, which is highly hot in temperature. The climate condition in Sokoto is highly detrimental to my health. I don’t like staying in school.
“Secondly, once my food has finished I will need to go home and restock in order to run away from extortion from the food sellers. Conclusively, I do go in order to rest and see my family and friends at home and resume back to my office.”
Ibrahim Thrilled on his Rejigger’s Fate
Ishiaq Ibrahim is a 300-Level student from the Education Faculty; the customary three months Teaching Practice dashed his hope of visiting home for the end-of-session holiday—visualizing himself wandering in Sokoto like a lost stranger for an enlist ended period.
He predicted a long stay in UDUS till another session—much demanded his pocket to be full to avert war against “sapa” and “shege” (the notorious students’ enemies).
Is’aq great importance to his voyage was his faulty phone that needed another replacement in the absence of which his survival on the soil of UDUS will be likened to a turmoil.
“Although I didn’t foresee it traveling home during this holiday. When the semester approached to be concluded, my fate was reshaped.There are a lot of reasons that prompted the redesignation of my decision but my faulty smartphone plays an overwhelming role”, Ibrahim pitifully retorted.
‘Hike in Food Price, Blackout as Broad Measure’
“We don’t really have much foodstuffs towards the end of semester. Things get deeper in the mini mart everyday, everything increases…we have no choice but to succumb to the taunts.”
Adebayo Yusuf, a 400 level student from law faculty had shared his ordeal with The News Digest Press on how the hike in price of food has caused him uncomfortable distress.
Another thing to him among all is the blackout. He lamented over how a power outage surged up in his hostel’s block of Jubril Aminu towards the end of semester as he was left with no other choice than to seek an alternative in another block before he got his phone and other gadgets charged which exposed him to a theft risk.
“Sometimes, there will be power outages in the school hostel but there’s power supply in the school. So I have to trek inside the school before I can get my phone and other gadgets charged,” he lamented.