Water Scarcity Hits Hall of Residence, ETF Boys Lament

 

By David Ogunlade

The water crisis that grips ETF Hall of Residence at Obafemi Awolowo University has left occupants of the hall without access to water for 48 Hours. It was rumoured that the pipe supplying the water from the OAU Dam has been severely damaged.

The students have expressed their displeasure over the issue. Michael, a fresher residing at the hall expresses his utmost displeasure to the current state of the hostel facility. He said, "I have an 8am class and there is no water to either cook or take my bath. How won't I miss today's class, when attendance might be taken?”

Another student who pleaded anonymity also expressed his utmost displeasure. He said, “Upon all the thirty thousand naira hostel fees, it is very bad if things can't be properly put in the right order. This is not the first time this is happening this semester. This is the fourth time in the space of a month. I suggest the school should drill a borehole here in ETF hall to ease this reoccurring problem."

Meanwhile, in an exclusive interview with OBSERVERS MAG Correspondent, Lukman Hammed, the Financial Secretary of the Hall, said, “The solution for now is that we should fetch water and store it once it is available so that the tank will be refilled at intervals before the end of the day. We have been facing this problem as far back as 2019. 

Other hostels on campus have alternatives to water supply except the ETF hostel which relies mainly on the school dam. Many measures have been put in place, part of which is surveying the hostel by water drillers in an attempt to drill a borehole. The people came and they said ETF is a rocky place and they are working on digging two wells."

He said that they have reached out to the Dean of the Students Affairs and the hall wardens, and that water will be made available temporarily today by a tank-truck. “Something got spoiled at the dam. That is why they were not able to pump the water since Friday evening," he stated. 

Some students have, however, sorted for an alternative by going to the New Central market in search for water since about 5:30am this morning. 

As at the time of filing this report, students of the hall await the action of the university management in response to their plight. This is therefore a call to the Division of Students Affairs and the university management to fast track the drilling of a well to ease the overwhelming burden placed on the students on several occasions.