Students have expressed concerns over their non-usage of rents paid for their hostels since the coronavirus pandemic and recently-suspended Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike crippled academic activities across the country. More worrisome is that they have to pay for another year, report ESAN FEMI WILLIAMS (FUOYE) and MUDATHIR HAYATULLAHI FOLORUNSHO (UDUS)
PRESIDENT of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Sunday Asefon is not happy. His annoyance stemmed from the long strike embarked upon by his teachers. But, surprisingly, his grouse is not with his lecturers alone.
He is blaming the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) for the over nine-month-old strike, suspended last December.
This, he said, led to the non-use of the hostel spaces students rented for the session. As the rents expired without being used, students would still pay for another year, he lamented.
Asefon said: “Our students paid house rents before the strike. They will have to pay another one. We have students that engage in entrepreneurship to fund their studies. Those businesses have shut down.”
Meanwhile, students have raised the alarm, seeking to dialogue with landlord associations in their institutions.They are also calling for the intervention of stakeholders, in addressing the issue which, according to them, may constitute a crisis.
The Acting Students’ Union President of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Adekola Ayomide, said it was painful that students paid their house rents but didn’t enjoy the service they paid for.
“We are in a terrible situation caused by the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Hence, there should be room for negotiations.
“Some students have not paid up their rents while some have not paid at all. The solution to this is asking the students to pay up their outstanding rents for 2020, as this will put all students on a negotiation level.
“Then, if all students have paid up their rents, there should be a form of reimbursement to the students, probably 10 or 20 per cent. This, in my view, balances the equation between landlords and students,” he said.
Another student, Ifeanyichukwu Miracle, of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, said: “It all boils down to understanding. If the landlords understand that the year has been wasted for no just cause and decide to have pity on student-tenants, then, it’s very laudable. I suggest that the house rents should be slashed, so that students can pay half of the year’s rent and the landlords bear the rest.”
Onileowo Ifeoluwa, a 400-Level student of the Department of Political Science, Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, said: “There’s need for proper understanding of the whole situation putting into consideration the negative effect of the ASUU strike and the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s a known fact that the landlords will want to have their rent for the year but there’s a need for both parties to come to an agreement on the way forward so as to avert any conflict. Student Unions at all levels should meet with the traditional rulers and landlords of their respective campus communities to proffer a reasonable solution to the issue.”
Kamila Abdul Oladosu, a student of Crestfield College of Education, Erin Osun, Osun State, noted that landlords and students were likely to face some challenges, as they may find it difficult to strike a balance.
He said: “I doubt if landlords can afford to slash rent or write it off. What they are doing is nothing but pure business. Though the problem may be solved if the students’ associations negotiate with landlords in a polite manner. The Students Union of each school affected by the ASUU strike should rise and come to the aid of their members.”
Kehinde Faboade, a 400-Level student of Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife, wants the leadership of students’ associations or unions to dialogue with landlords and reach a compromise. He added that partial or outright waiver of the 2021 rent and some percentage deduction from the rent are some of the options available to both parties.
He said: “Rent is paid for the possession of someone else’s property(a house for instance) for a fixed period of time and for a particular sum. It matters less whether the person who rented it uses it or not .Once the possession of the said property is passed immediately, there is an agreement. Also, during the period of rent, the property would be unavailable to the owner for other economic use. The rent remains valid until the agreed period lapses. At the expiration of the period, the possession returns to the owner unless the tenancy agreement is renewed with the volition of the two parties.
“In the landlord-student scenario, I think asking for a fresh (2021) rent from students by their landlords is not unlawful. After all, the students paid for possession of rooms.
“I don’t think either of the parties should dance to the tune of the other. Rather, this issue should be settled as a win-win. The students populace would want an outright waiver because they’ve suffered enough psychological stress as a result of the prolonged ASUU strike which was later suspended.The economic hardship facing many Nigerians has also not helped matters. Landlords would also want new rent to be paid because they are also feeling the pains of recession.
“With the intervention of the leadership of students’ associations, solutions can be proffered through constructive dialogue.”
A 200-Level student of the Department of English Education, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Makinde Damilola, said: “Reaching an agreement will do because our properties in our various apartments represent us. If they’re safe, I think no cause for alarm; we just need to reach an agreement with them as per the rent fee. I’m sure things will work out. And most importantly, the landlords should be reasonable.”
Sunday Afolabi, a 200-Level student of the Department of Animal Production and Health, Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, FUNAAB, said: “House rent has emerged as a pressing concern among students and l agree that the terms and conditions of tenancy should be followed. Nevertheless, with a good negotiation from student union government of all universities, perhaps, landlords and student-tenants may reach a reasonable compromise of payment or a timeline for extension of payment or even a reduction.”
Adisa Abeeb Olalekan, a 200-Level student of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, UDUS, had paid his house rent of N45,000 for 2020 before they were asked to vacate the school. With the hope of returning to the campus after a month, he couldn’t enjoy his rent until a month turned nine.
“I have paid the rent of N45, 000 meant for 2020. It was not more than a month that I paid the money, they asked us to leave the school for a month, as directed by the Federal Government, as a result of COVID-19 pandemic.
“It breaks my heart whenever I remember the payment. If I had known, I would not have paid the rent. If I knew we would be staying home for this long, possibly, I would have retrieved my money from the landlord,” he said.
Adisa will decline paying another house rent when school resumes. He claimed that since the apartments are situated on the school campus, he expects the school management (UDUS) to meet with the private hostels’ landlords and plead on behalf of the students for them to enjoy the already paid money for the session.
“If the school resumes, my expectations are: the landlord should not ask us to pay another rent. As for me, I’m not looking forward to paying another money. The landlords should also be very considerate, by looking at the situation of the country and have mercy on us students.
“Also, we should tell the school management to have a meeting with the landlords and plead on our behalf to let us complete the session we paid for before requesting for another house rent,” he said.
Edoh Agipu Joy, a 100-Level English Language student of UDUS, lives in a private hostel and had, with her two friends, paid N70, 000 for their rent before the closure of their varsity.
” I paid my rent with my other two friends, altogether making N70, 000. Not long after a year’s payment, maybe three weeks, we were asked to vacate the campus because of COVID-19 pandemic. We thought we wouldn’t be staying home for long,but it turned out otherwise.
“My expectations regarding the rent when school resumes, is that we will definitely pay another rent because we were told that “Rent is per session.So, if eventually, we resume in January, we are still going to pay another money.
“I still wish the landlords and the caretakers help us a bit. They might reduce the rent to a level everybody can afford and we would definitely appreciate that. I have informed my parents already and my dad is prepared to give me another money for the rent,” she said.
Another student of the institution, Hamid Fatimah, who lives in a private hostel, also paid N80,000 to her landlord, through an agent (caretaker), before the closure of schools.
She is not ready to pay another rent since she has not completed the academic session which she paid for.
She said: “My room mates and I paid N80,000 to our landlord in February. Barely three weeks after the payment, the school asked us to vacate the campus, being a directive by the Federal Government. We all left, thinking of resumption after a month, not knowing we would stay at home this long.”
She expects her landlord to allow them exhaust the months they had paid for before asking for another rent.
“They should allow us to enjoy the payment for the months we spent at home before paying another rent. After all, we haven’t completed the academic session which we paid for. The landlord should consider our parents and understand the current situation of the country.
“Also, we expect the school management to intervene, by having meeting with them and plead on our behalf since the apartments are also on campus,” she said.
