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| The overwhelming rot in Benson Idahos University despite exorbitant tuition |
In Benson Idahosa University Benin, Edo State, where ‘freshers’ pay as much as N614, 100 per session, the proprietors have turned a blind eye to the deplorable state of school facilities as students live in so distasteful environment.
Nigerian Times investigation has revealed that in the female hostel for example, the students stand on blocks to have their bathe as the state of the toilets has left many with terrible vaginal diseases.
A student who confided in the Nigerian Times disclosed that it has become a norm that the first thing students do after leaving school for holidays is to treat all kinds of infections.
She told her story to our correspondent- “I am a student of Benson Idahosa University. When I got admitted to the university I was so excited. Moving into the hostel, I was overwhelmed with joy because I knew I was about to embark on a life-changing journey.
“The first time I entered my hostel toilet, I felt like vomiting because it was so dirty and one week of staying in the hostel my face became pale, I had discolorations and it was filled with rashes.”
“Today it has become a norm as the first thing I do when I get home on holiday is to treat infection.”
Explaining further, the source said, “In my 100 level, I paid 614,100 as my school fees which included my hostel fee.”
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| Archbishop Margaret E. Benson-Idahosa is wife of the late Archbishop of Church of God Mission Int’l. Inc and the proprietress of Idahosa Unibversity |
Investigations revealed that the school has different classes of hostel; One for the low or scholarship students, the other for average, and another for the extremely rich students.
“We have different categories of hostels within the school for different classes of students; those of us who cannot afford to pay for very luxurious ones settle for the cheapest hostel, generally called old hostel because of its ill-maintained structures.
The prices of the hostels are N50, 000, N75, 000 and N175, 000 respectively.
Students who live in N50,000 hostels are often drenched during rainy season.
“We paid 50,000 for the hostel and we stay 8 in a room (amounting to N400, 000 per room with no toilet) with no inbuilt toilet so we have to use public toilets which often result in toilet infections. Four Hundred thousand naira can afford a highly decent 2/3 bedroom flats in many Nigerian cities!
This barefaced extortion is happening in a supposedly Christian University ran by the wife of late Bishop Benson Idahosa who essentially introduced Pentecostalism in Nigeria.
“The other type of hostel is the over-comers’ hostel which cost 75,000 and accommodates 6 people (that's about N450,00 per session) with an inbuilt toilet but little or no space in the rooms.
“The best hostels are for the children of the elite. They are Agape hostel and Bishops court hostel which cost 175,000 fitted with air conditioners, in-built toilets and accommodates 2 or at most 4 people in a room.”
The students who wondered why government authorities are not inspecting the state facilities despite the amount of money being spent by the students are calling on well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on the management of the school to give them value for their money.
They asked for improved hostel facilities, improved libraries, enlarged class space and most importantly improved medical care.
No fewer than 300 students are housed in the general hostel of N50,000 which as is badly maintained.
Nigerian Times investigation also revealed that the same amount can rent a decent one bedroom flat in the school vicinity of Benin city.
When Nigerian Times confronted the Coordinator of student welfare in the University, Mr Kingsley Ekhator said the hostels wasn’t as bad as portrayed adding that the hostels are maintained every summer break.
He said: “The N50,000 general hostels are the most affordable and we clean them three times a day for students.
“It is also maintained every summer trying to rectify the extent of damage. Once we get complain from students, we do maintenance immediately.
“At the moment, we have contractors working in the hostels.”
However Nigerian Times can confirm that no contractor was in sight in the hostel as at the time of investigation.
There is little doubt that such practices in Idahosa University are replicated across other universities in Nigeria.
There is little doubt that such practices in Idahosa University are replicated across other universities in Nigeria.
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