By Yisau Babatunde
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| Stagnant Water at the Entrance of Matrix Hostel. PC| Yisau Babatunde |
The heavy night rain at Usmanu Danfodiyo University (UDUS) brought a cool night sleep to many. But for Sulaiman, a resident of Matrix Hostel at Gidan Yaro, the morning turned into a humiliating experience.
With a bucket in one hand and his phone on the other, he walked toward the hostel entrance with his eyes glued to the reading materials on his screen. Unaware of the stagnant pool ahead, he misstepped and landed inside a foul-smelling pond formed overnight due to poor drainage.
“During the day, the same place was so dry, no contour to form any dungeon of water,” he recalled angrily. “But it came as a surprise when the place suddenly filled up with dirtiest and bad smelling odour water.”
What pained Sulaiman most was his phone, which got soaked beyond repair. “For days, I took it to engineers like I attend lectures, but no result. Now it’s useless at home, while all my academic PDFs are stuck in it, just weeks before exams,” he lamented
He added that several complaints made to the hostel agent yielded only empty promises..
Students Count More Loss as Floods Remain Neglected
Sulaimon is not alone. Abdulbasit Mustapha, a resident of Oceanic Villa, had a similar ordeal. In his own case, just before he got injured, they have been complaining bitterly about their hostel to their caretaker to find a lasting solution to the unregulated flood, but they always get false promises. Even after he got injured, nothing changed.
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| Route leading to Oceanic Villa. PC| Yisau Babatunde |
“I was hurrying to the hostel’s mini-mart after the rain. I knew the road was slippery, but before I knew it, both feet slipped and I crashed into the dirty water. I ended up bleeding profusely on my leg and hand.”
For Musibau Khadijat, the problem was not just injuries but embarrassment. Rushing to a compulsory morning class in her white abaya, she slipped and fell into the filth.
“When I looked back, I realized that two Yarinya girls were laughing at me while I was covered in dirt. Worse, I missed a test that morning.
“It’s not only the lack of proper drainage, it affected me badly even in my academics,” she concluded.
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| Las Vegas Front View after the Heavy Downpour. PC| Yisau Babatunde |
Landlords Admit Failure, But Say There's No Need for Drainage
Mallam Abu, one of the landlords of the private hostels, while speaking with the press, admitted that there is no proper drainage, but said there’s nothing they can do about it since Sokoto land absorbs enough water.
In justification for that, Mallam Abu added that the toilets and bathrooms, clean gate, and security he provided for them are enough and they shouldn’t be bothered about drainage.
“The money to use for such can be used in doing other things within the house, which will make living easier for them. Students are too hot-tempered, they want everything to go their way every time. Sometimes, it is hard for me to fulfil their wishes.”
Students Risk More Than Slips and Falls—Environmental Expert
In an interview, Yisau Rahman, an environmental, expert warned that there could be more than the risk of slips and falls as some of the dangers of improper drainage systems. According to him, mosquitoes will be everywhere when there is stagnant water, which will spread diseases.
“It can even cause flooding in the university environment. In the long run, landlords will spend far more on repairs than they would on proper drainage,” he added.
Dean of Private Hostels Pledges Action
The Dean of Private Hostels, Professor Tsargem said the report has not been brought to him, but he’ll meet relevant people to find a solution.
“Although I haven’t received formal reports yet, it’s unacceptable for a house to lack drainage, especially with heavy rains. I will meet with the relevant people to find a solution.”