Female students at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS) have decried poor facilities in their halls of residence, especially toilets, which are an eyesore. To prevent the outbreak of an epidemic, they have called on the school authorities to address the issue. ZARIAT YETUNDE AYOADE (UDUS) reports.
Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS) is an old university, not only in the North, but also in the country. It is an institution of choice for students, having made a name for itself globally over the years.
Founded in 1975, it was among the 12 pioneer universities owned by the Federal Government, though based in the Caliphate.
Known for its ecstatic terrain and prowess in pedagogy, it has grown over the years like an Iroko providing shade to many students from the country and outside. But it seems its facilities, especially the halls of residence, are not being put to good use by some students.
“I gained admission to Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS) in December, 2019 and had to move from South to North. Adapting to life in a new environment was not easy, but it is a price I have to pay for success.”
These were the words of Damilola Faith, a 300-Level student at the Faculty of Arts of UDUS.
When she got admission into UDUS, she weighed her possible accommodation alternatives and settled for the school’s halls of residence because of their affordability and proximity to classes. However, she didn’t find it easy as she suffered discomfort from having to use the toilets there.
UDUS, like other institutions, provides accommodation to select students on a per-session basis at an affordable rate. Most rooms in the female halls of residence accommodate between 8 and 16, and, sometimes, more students.
Like other schools’ halls of residence, the management employs cleaners to keep the hostels and the environs clean. Despite that, students still battle with dirty toilets and an unhealthy environment.
In the UDUS female halls of residence, a storey block, there are three bathrooms and two toilets per floor. On a floor there are six rooms and an average of seven occupants per room. About 42 students compete for the available convenience.
Unable to fathom why students misuse the convenience, Faith said:”The dirty toilets are really disgusting.The offensive smell is like hell. I don’t know if a dirty habit is ingrained in some students or that they don’t see anything bad in messing up the convenience,but we just have to cope with one another.”
Threat to students’ well-being
Living in the school halls of residence as a fresher was not easy for Azeezah Yunus, a 300-Level student.She recalled that she contracted infection from the toilets frequently and had a frail health.
“I came to this institution (UDUS) without any prior ailment. I was hale and hearty. But living in the hostel in my year one affected my health seriously.
“I once had an asthmatic attack in the toilet due to the odour.Thanks to my friend that came in on time (to rush me to the school clinic). My health became worse after living in the hostel. School toilets would have been better if students imbibe basic hygiene,” she said.
Doctors said dirty toilets give infection to women or compel them to hold the urge until they find suitable alternatives.The latter is also harmful as it can cause medical problems for them.
Experts noted people wouldn’t mind paying to use clean toilets, adding that unclean toilets will impact health, which explains Yunu’s experience.
Yunus continued: “The only requirement is to keep them clean so that they do not spread infection among users, particularly women, who are vulnerable to infection.
“It was unbearable for me. I ended up in the hospital most times. Sometimes, at the school clinic or at the school’s Teaching Hospital, the doctors kept saying it is because of the environment.The Sokoto environment is alien to a lot of people, like me, and the least students can do to help one another is to ensure a clean environment, including toilets.
“I didn’t have it easy. I missed out on tests and assignments. Alhamdulilah for the company of good friends, I managed to scale through.
“I moved to another apartment at First gate in my second year and I am doing fine now,” she said.
A plea for more toilets
Fatima Abubakar, a 300-Level student, noted that it was imperative for the school to build more toilets.
“I have lived in three different hostels since I gained admission to UDUS and I can say the number of toilets is too small for the number of students using them,” she said.
She added that maintaining the toilets is difficult “due to the overpopulation in the hostel and some students’ dirty habits”.
“Coming from different homes and backgrounds implies that we have different exposure. Some students are still using pit latrines in their houses and are not used to water closets, but because we are in the institution, everybody wants to belong. They start misbehaving and inconveniencing others. Some will use pads and instead of disposing of it properly, they will just throw it anyhow in the bathroom,” she said.
Kawthar Bukola Yusuf, a final year student at the Department of Public Administration, who has lived in the hostel since her 100-Level days, said: “I feel we only need to appeal to the management to build us more toilets. Also, we sometimes have drainage issues, because there are some toilets, where water doesn’t flow very well. They have fixed it several times, but it keeps recurring.”
“The management has done its part (by providing toilets and cleaners) though the toilets are not enough, but the students should do better. I use the hostel toilets and always flush.
“Most students are even used to ‘shotput’ to avoid infections. There is the need to build more toilets and tell the cleaners to wash properly. If there are strict penalties for anyone misusing the toilet, we will have a healthy environment.
“My experience with the toilets is not very good, because I treat infections almost on a weekly basis, and sometimes, it hinders my menstrual period. I have never had any infection until I gained admission to this school and started living in the hostel.”
Ruqqayah Muhammed, a 300-Level student of Mathematics wants students to use the toilets well. “The problem is with us female students, and I don’t think the management can interfere much in the matter because we are the ones using it and they don’t know anything about it.The only thing the management can do is set up a strict disciplinary committee within the hostel premises who would always ensure culprits, especially those that dispose their used pads on the floor and the door handles, are punished,” she said.
Students are not predictable, says hostel matron
A hostel matron, who preferred anonymity, bemoaned how students use the toilets.
She said: “You will see students dress well, but the way most of them use the toilet is so bad.”
Hostel matrons are in charge of overseeing affairs in the hostel, ensuring peace and orderliness in the hostel.
“I always provide cleaning materials for the cleaners, such as soap, scrub and sanitiser, but despite my efforts and the cleaners’ efforts, the students always find a way to misuse the toilet,” she said.
The matron explained how she makes sure the hostel and toilets are clean and any students caught misusing them will be punished.
“I remember how I sent the cleaners to clean the back of the toilets and one of them came back vomiting because students messed up the facilities. I made sure the toilets were monitored that day and I seized buckets and some students were made to wash the toilet that day after using it,” she said.
The matron urged students to avoid having problems with the management because most of what they are doing in the hostel, they can’t do in their homes and the management must not hear about it because the school is against such.
“We pray the students can have human feelings and be moderate in everything they do,” she added.
Hostel cleaner reacts
One of the cleaners who works in the hostel, Mrs. Asmau Abubakar, narrated how she used to struggle to clean the toilets daily, but after some minutes the hostel becomes dirty again.
“I was washing the toilets one day, after I finished washing the first one, a lady entered and defecated on the floor. She still came out to greet me. I didn’t know she had defecated on the floor. It was when I finished washing the second one that I saw it. I was so irritated that day, but there was nothing I could do.
“We are doing this work because we don’t have any other way to make money. We can’t get another job, but we risk our lives packing all the dirt, including used pads, from the toilets. Sometimes we get scared of not catching diseases from everything we are doing, we can only appeal to the students to be considerate and do better,” she said.
Students’ union weighs-in
A representative of the Student Union Government, Fatimah Abdulaziz Abdullah, a 500-Level Agriculture student, said: “Personal hygiene is very important as a student. A lot of students do what they can’t do in their house in the hostel, imagine someone disposing of pads in the bathroom, or using the toilets without flushing, they can’t do this in their homes. Students need to work on what they can do to help themselves. All of us are victims of this terrible situation.
“It is not possible for the management to come and stand in the toilet and check who excreted in the bathroom, or who disposed of pads in the bathroom. The cleaners are trying their best to make the toilets dirty,” she said.
Sanctions for culprits, says Dean of Students Affairs
Dean of Students’ Affairs Prof. Umar Aliyu, noted that the management was aware of the situation and had resorted to making any students found misusing the toilets face sanctions.
“In some halls of residence, once your block is guilty of messing up the toilets, all occupants of the block will take turns in washing it,” he said.
According to him, the management has provided students with everything they need, including cleaners and cleaning materials. He, however, expressed dismay that, despite all of those, students expose themselves to various hazards by excreting on the floor and disposing of pads indiscriminately.
“I believe if they serve the punishment of washing the toilets themselves, they will know it is not easy to clean the toilets. The solution has been effective in some of halls of residence and it will continue to stand,” he added.
