New Borehole Commissioned in Angola Hall 47 Days After the Protest

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By  Adetunji Oluwafemi and Israel Bakare 
Angola Hall of Residence has finally secured a somewhat lasting solution to its persistent water scarcity issue, exactly 47 days after the residents held a peaceful demonstration within the hall of residence on Monday, 7th April 2025. This became evident today, Saturday, 24th May 2025, as the Vice-Chancellor, alongside other principal officials and members of the alumni association, arrived at the hall to commission the newly constructed borehole, which was donated by the Great Ife Alumni Association.


The commissioning was graced by the presence of principal officials, including the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Simeon Bamire; Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Administration, Prof. Yomi Daramola; Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation, Prof. Yinusa; Dean of the Division of Student Affairs, Professor John Odedire; President of the Great Ife Alumni Association; and other members of the association.

The borehole initiative was said to have been a positive response to the demonstration held in the hall on April 7th, 2025, where residents boycotted lectures, demanding that a new borehole be dug. However, a new pumping machine was installed immediately to address the urgent needs of the residents, making water available in another part of the hall since then.

Speaking during the commissioning ceremony, Kujembola Olalekan (Ikuuboy), the hall chairman, stated that he sees the project as a fulfilment of God's promises over his administration because he dreamed of an abundance of water in the hall when he began his tenure. However, the experience of water scarcity in the hall during the first semester almost made him lose faith in that dream until recently, when it began to become a reality. He commended the efforts of everyone who contributed to the project and acknowledged the support from the management.

While giving his remarks, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Simeon Bamire, acknowledged the presence of the principal officials, the Alumni Association, Hall Management, Hall Executive, and others present. He further appreciated and commended the goodwill of the alumni union for their full sponsorship of the borehole project, attributing it to the act of “giving back to their source.” On the same note, Bamire congratulated the Hall Warden, Executives, and Residents for attracting such progress and encouraged them to take proper maintenance precautions as they proceeded to unveil the project for commissioning.

While speaking in a short interview with Icons Organization's correspondents, the Global President of the Great Ife Alumni Association, Evang. Barrister Fred Aburu, noted that the primary reason for the construction of the new borehole stems from a viral water scarcity protest video and news reports encountered online last month by several able members of the Great Ife Alumni Association. He added that the Alumni Union understands the critical importance of water for survival; therefore, they immediately set up committees to execute this project. In his closing remarks, he advised the students on the maintenance of the borehole, urging them to regard it as personal property and to avoid anything that might hinder its usage. Since they now have two functioning boreholes, he suggested a rotation mechanism to prevent overuse.

Residents of Angola, immediately after commissioning, were spotted fetching water from the new borehole, which has three water tanks and four taps attached to it.

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