Southwestern University Students cry out over Poor Living Conditions (Photos)

Some aggrieved students of Southwestern University, Okun-Owa in Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State, have decried their living conditions in the schools as the institution management reportedly barred students from cooking in their hostels, Siggy reports.

The students who spoke on anonymity reported that the situation has forced them into buying tasteless food of poor quality on campus at exorbitant prices when they could have easily prepared the meals at their convenience. They also complained about not having access to cash on campus as there is no Automated Teller Machine on the school premises.

According to the student, anyone who dares to complain about the poor living conditions in the hostels faces the risk of getting suspended or slammed with an extra year by the university authorities.

“The sad part about this whole suffering is that you dare not complain because the moment you voice out your frustration, the school will either suspend or punish you with an extra year.

“This is supposed to be a private university where people come to learn and live good lives but at Southwestern University, the living conditions of students are worse than those of persons in correctional centres (prisons),” the undergraduate, who cannot be named for safety reasons, said.

Several videos and photographs showing the living conditions of students of the university which were seen by SaharaReporters depict that lack of regular water supply is a big issue frustrating undergraduates and equally affecting their daily activities.

Swarming around a big plastic tank and several buckets and containers lined up and stretching tens of metres to get water each time supply arrives, the large crowd of students scrambling for the precious liquid to attend to basic needs speaks volumes of the predicament of undergraduates residing in hostels at Southwestern University.

“If you see the way students rush out to get water whenever the school miraculously provides such, you will think we are animals in a jungle.
“We are being treated in a demeaning manner despite paying school fees in dollars. In fact, the tuition increases if the exchange rate of dollars also goes higher. That is the terrible situation we are enduring at Southwestern University,” another student told SaharaReporters.

Recall that on Monday, Siggy had exclusively reported how the private university based in Ogun State suspended 17 students for demanding clean water and stable electricity supply in their hostels.

The management of the private university handed a six-week suspension to each of the 400 level students for having the guts to voice out their frustration despite warnings from the authorities.

Chancellor of the institution, Babatunde Odufuwa, who doubles as chairman of the Governing Council of Lagos City Polytechnic and Chief Executive Officer of Lagos City Computer College, had earlier threatened to suspend any student who spoke against the school or demanded certain rights.

The spokesperson for the university, Mr Aderoju, when contacted with the latest findings by our correspondent on Monday did not respond to several calls put across to him.

It was also learned that the school only accepts tuition fees in foreign currencies (United States dollars).

https://siggy.ng/southwestern-university-students-cry-out-over-poor-living-conditions-photos/