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UNN online hostel video: SUG, other stakeholders react

Published

5 years ago

August 16, 2021

Some stakeholders in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, (UNN) have reacted to the recent online video that went viral over the alleged poor condition of Nkrumah Hostel in the institution.

The people bared their minds on the issue in separate interviews in Nsukka on Monday.

The President of the Students Union Government (SUG), Mr Stephen Ani, said: “Nkrumah Hostel is one of the oldest hostels in UNN but it is not as bad as painted in the video.

“When the new hostel under construction by the university, in partnership with Viagem Property Ltd., is completed, the old structure would no longer be used.

“As soon as the new hostel is finished the problem of hostel accommodation in the institution would become a thing of the past.”

Ani said the university management was doing its best with the lean resources at its disposal, adding that many hostels were renovated in recent years.

He listed some of the renovated hostels to include Aja Nwachukwu, Akintola, Awolowo, Balewa, Bello, Eyoita, Isa Kaita, Mary Slessor, Presidential, Okeke and Okpara.

“As we speak, Mbanefo, which is the biggest hostel, is currently undergoing renovation.

“We all know the harsh economic condition in the country, which has resulted in poor funding of public universities.

“The same problem, in terms of hostels in UNN, also obtains in other public universities in the country.

“I have visited many universities in the course of attending SUG National Executive Meetings.

“Why UNN’s own is in public domain is because all eyes are on UNN as one of the leading universities in the country,” Ani said.

Prof. Ifeanyichukwu Abada, the immediate past Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in the institution, also blamed poor conditions of hostels and other infrastructures in public universities on poor funding by the Federal Government.

“The Vice-Chancellors should not be blamed rather people should blame the problem on government’s poor funding.

“Monthly allocation of some public universities at times is not enough to even pay for public electricity consumption talk more of addressing other pressing needs of the institutions.

“This is one of those things ASUU is agitating against over the years, concerning poor funding of public universities.

“I am happy people are now seing the effect of government’s poor funding,” he said.

Abada, a lecturer in the Department of Political Science, commended the VC, Prof. Charles Igwe, for entering into a partnership with the private sector in a bid to solve the problem of hostel accommodation.

He said the completion of the new hostel block, which has about 12,000 bed spaces, would help to substantially solve the issue of accommodation in the institution.

Also, a member of the Governing Council, who pleaded anonymity, said the council always gave priority to issues concerning students’ welfare.

He said the council had already visited Nkrumah Hostel because of the viral video by a faceless lady and discovered that the situation in the hostel was not as bad as painted.

He, however, said that some renovations would be carried out in the hostel, pending the completion of the new hostel.

“When the new hostel is finished, all the students in the old hostels would be moved to the new structure,” he said.