The Authority of Kano State University also known as Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology Wudil has cited improper hygiene as the reason for locking up block E of the female hostel of the institution, to avert disease outbreak.
The female students of the North Western institution had lamented being locked out of the hostel by the University Dean overnight despite the weather conditions and possible security threat.
The students were said to have further been given a private account to pay N3,000 each before the hostel could be opened again as penalty.
Some students who spoke to Journalists on the matter, complained that the students of the affected block violated some rules when they poured water in a restricted place in the hostel for which they were all forced out of the hostel.
They said; “The block was locked on the instruction of the Dean Students Affairs while they were asked to pay the penalty dues.
“There is instruction that water should not be poured on the walkway which students of a particular block violated and all those in the block were forced to sleep out.
“They have been doing this and when the students violated the regulation they are forced to pay N3,000 as punitive measure.
“We don’t know who we are paying the money to but I doubt if it is actually the account of the school,” One of the students said.
It was also rumoured that one of the affected students collapsed due to the cold dry weather outside.
However, in a reaction, the Dean Students Affairs, Professor Abdulqadir Muhammad Dambazau dismissed the allegations saying “the hostels were renovated and decongested and new rules were put in place for those who occupy the rooms.”
Dambazau explained that the female students were fond of defecating in the open space within the hostel, while others shower in the open.
“These not only have risk to health and hygiene but also the moral standards of occupying a space in the school hostel,“he explained.
On the issue of penalty fees forced on the students, Dambazau confirmed that, “it is true that there is a fine for violating the rules of occupying a bed space in the school hostel.”
“Whosoever violates such rules would be warned twice, and if he persists will be forced to pay N3,000 as penalty.
On the issue of a student collapsing as a result of the closure of the hostel, it is not true. Neither the University authority nor the Students’ Union Government is aware of this, he said.
Dambazau said; “Contrary to the allegation that the money is paid to private account, no, the money is paid to the account of the Students’ Affairs.
“Some of these rules including barring the students from cooking inside the congested rooms with gas cookers to avoid accidents.“
“We have also changed the former system of reserving the rooms for those who have connections. Now everyone is entitled and can register and make payments online to be allocated,” he stressed.
Dambazau explained further that the school is taking shape with the renovations and construction of facilities that have changed the former ways to better standards.
He said; ” the total number of students in the school is about 24,000 while the hostels can only accommodate 5,400 with the available facility.
This is about a quarter of all the students while the remaining are living off campus.”
Mercy Chukwudiebere
