Students' Union SRC Holds First Parliamentary Sitting of the Session: Discusses Halls Conditions and Price Irregularities of Campus Commodities

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By Adetunji Oluwafemi and Joy Oludele 
The first Students' Representative Council parliamentary sitting was held on Saturday, November 16, 2024, at 1k seaters. Concerns were raised regarding some issues  which includes; the state of the undergraduate halls of residence and the irregularities in the prices of commodities on campus.

It was discovered that in various halls of residence, occupants allocated to the upper bunks were asked to pay an additional amount of ₦2,000 for cupboards, despite the fact that the previous occupants paid the sum of ₦1,000, which the management claimed they used for the repair of the cupboards. Meanwhile, the cupboards were not repaired; yet, an additional amount was added in this new session, despite the increase in accommodation fees.

The Honourables raised concerns that most halls of residence are not habitable due to issues such as epileptic power supply, water scarcity, poor toilet facilities, and a lack of sockets and lamp holders, among other problems. It was claimed that OAU students enjoyed better living conditions in the halls of residence when the charges were ₦3,090 compared to the current rate of ₦50,000, which does not include a clearance fee of ₦2,000 or ₦2,500 in some halls. Despite all these charges, students are still required to pay for cupboards.

Speaking about the living conditions in the hall of residence, the Mozambique Hall chairperson clarified the incident involving an occupant who fell into the soakaway by stating that, "only one occupant fell into the soakaway while the other fainted out of shock; however, there was swift aid and medical attention that facilitated their quick recovery." At the moment, the soakaway in question has only been barricaded. A concrete slab has not yet been placed on it, nor has it been repaired.


The chairman of ETF hall, Bankole Festus, stated that the hall is currently battling an epileptic power supply. Some of the occupants visit other halls to charge their gadgets, despite the hike in the price of accommodation.

Akintola Hall is also struggling with faulty sockets, lamp holders, and, most importantly, insecurity. Adegoke Kafayat, the Akintola Hall Chairperson reported that the security of the hall is a concern, as an unidentified individual entered a room in the hall at midnight and stole phones and bags belonging to the occupants. The perpetrator has not been identified.

Some honourables raised concerns about the lack of adequate security in the halls of residence. The management needs to address this by providing more active security personnel. "We cannot be paying such a huge amount of money and still live in panic."

The Fajuyi Hall Chairman, Odunayo Emmanuel, noted that the Block A&B annex building of the hall is currently undergoing renovation. Occupants who were previously allocated to these blocks will be reallocated until the renovation is completed. He also stated that the toilets in the Block J annex would be renovated as well. However, some rooms in the hall still struggle with faulty sockets, lamp holders, and toilets.


Ariyo Isaac, Awo hall Chairman, while giving his report, stated that a borehole, which would serve the annex blocks of the hall, was completed during the break. It is hoped that it will reduce the occurrence of water scarcity that the hall faced in the previous session.

Irregularities In the Prices of Commodities 
Speaking about the irregularities in the prices of commodities, Samuel Timileyin, the Welfare director, announced the successful regulation of the Point of Sale (POS) charges on campus, a move aimed at alleviating the financial burden on students.

According to the Welfare Officer, the meeting with POS vendors was held last week, rather than this week, due to persistent complaints from students regarding the exorbitant charges. The Welfare Director emphasized that the decision to regulate the POS charges was made in response to the students' concerns. He revealed that vendors caught violating the order had their terminals seized for 24 hours and had to write a letter before their machines could be released; others were strictly warned.

The Welfare Director explained that a regulated price list ought to have been released, but the delay was due to the fact that most butteries on campus had not yet opened. He further mentioned that butteries have been given an ultimatum to open unfailingly by next week, after which he would collect prices and conduct a market comparison before releasing the price list.

The university community will be kept abreast of any new developments regarding a regulated price list once butteries resume.

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