By Press Council
Students and parents have been hitting the roof ever since the word of an increment in the price of hostel fee in The Polytechnic, Ibadan made the news. The Polytechnic, Ibadan hostels are buildings of over 50 years, and those buildings have been serving the students from then till this very moment. Ever since the hostels were erected, it was made known that, the buildings had never experienced any major renovation up till this moment (recent major renovation took place last session which saw contractors modernised the halls of residence) which has resulted in the decay and dilapidation of the building.
Indeed it was a thing of joy when the news of the hostel renovation by the school management came to the hearing of the students; Jubilations and excitement filled the residents of the school hostels as the hostels took new forms. While the jubilations and merriments of the hostels’ renovation is ongoing, the news of the hike in the price of the hostel fee literally poured stone in so many students’ garri’.
Ideal, the school hostels are meant to be affordable, safe, and serene for students. But if the place is safe, well beautified and with appropriate facilities but costly, it is as good as nothing. As we all know, it is a new academic session, and there are lots of fees to pay and bills to settle; if a hostel which is supposed to be affordable turns out to be the goldfish in the aquarium, definitely there is going to be a problem.
The 100% increase in the hostel fee from N20,000 to N40,000 has resulted in students clamoring and throwing multiple stunts as they express their displeasure with the new price.
Over the past week, a group called, Students Leaders Forum (SLF) have directed students to stop payments as consultation and agitation continues for a subsidy on the price. Ironically, the Student Union through its PRO, on Monday, released a statement urging students to proceed with payment and ignore the SLF statement in what the SUG termed as a RUMOUR.
Questions and criticisms are arising day by day regarding the hike, and many are beginning to ask if the hostel is a new way of extorting the students and if the renovation is really worth the price.
Nevertheless, we will still urge the school management to help further reduce the accommodation fee. The country is presently experiencing a chronic economic crisis, and no one is left out in this struggle. We implore the school management to propose a renegotiation of price so that students can comfortably secure accommodation with no stress.
