Living in a hostel has its pros and cons. It could be the security or the roommates that eventually become friends or the constant power supply. For others, it could be nothing but a tale of woes. We asked students at Nnamdi Azikwe University to talk about a hostel experience they would never forget.
Adaugo – Had a toilet infection
My first and sole problem is the toilet. It is terrible — a complete eyesore. A toilet is allocated to 5 rooms on every floor. Students hardly use the toilet. They would rather defecate and urinate inside a custard bucket and then pour in the toilet. After disposing of the content, they don’t flush because of the lack of running water. Others do the same thing until the toilet bowl is filled with faeces. To make matters worse, the cleaners come in to wash the toilet only once a week. I got a bum irritation as a result of it.
Chiamaka – Was part of a protest
The school hostel is known for regular power supply, but something happened. There was a blackout that lasted for a week. During this period, we had a shortage of water supply as well. You’ll see girls queuing up to fetch water from the well to have their baths. Omo! Life was hard. We had to stage a protest before something was done. We used the cover of our pots and the stick for stirring garri instead of placards, shouting as we marched down. Even the boys joined in the protest. In the end, our protest was successful.
Precious – Helped a girl in need
This happened in my year one. We had clear instructions not to hang clothes on the rails in front of our room. However, a fellow hostelite defaulted. As usual, the former Dean came to the hostel and saw the clothes. Before he could come up, all of us in that wing took the clothes inside, locked our doors, and went out. He didn’t see anyone when he came up. So, he wrote our room numbers, threatening and ordering that we see him in his office the next day.
It was so nice working together as a team. Imagine if the girl had come back and didn’t see her clothes. It’s not like she purposely did that. There was no space to dry her clothes downstairs. Thankfully, he didn’t do anything because we were writing exams.
Philip – Portress wahala
I wanted to eat before going for lectures. But my rice got spoilt. So I packed the rice, threw it in the bin, then I poured the water I used to rinse the pot over the rails. I knew it was against the hostel rules but rules are there when things are in place.
One of the portresses heard the splash and asked who did it. I refused to bulge because she didn’t see my face. Still, she went continued with her threats and even tried to curse me.
I decided to go after her to explain myself but she slapped me saying that she was old enough to be my grandmother. After that, she ordered me to sweep the floor. I refused. Not after she slapped me. Some of my fellow guys came out and asked that I obey her. The security guard threatened to call anti-cult. I wasn’t deterred. They were amazed because their words had no effect. They all knew she was wrong but you know, the portress is always right.
Eventually, I gave in and I felt humiliated.
