Eben Enasco Reporting.
A close study carried out into the Ambrose Ali University’s, AAU’s, environment revealed that there are no acceptable public toilet facilities in its hostel accommodations.
This is as light and water systems in the institution are identified as major reasons causing impediments to its assumption of a full-fledged academic environment.
Ambrose Alli University, AAU, is a state-owned university in Edo State, Nigeria.
It was established in 1981 by the then governor of Bendel State, now Edo and Delta States, Ambrose Folorunsho Alli.
Initially known as Bendel State University, subsequently known as Edo State University, and finally changed to its present name in commemoration of professor Ambrose Folorunsho Alli, AAU, is accredited and recognized by the National Universities Commission NUC.
Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma with it being World Ranked at 4917, Continental Ranking at 124, in the Country, it’s Ranked 40th university institution.
While the probe into these poor environmental conditions in the State University system at Ekpoma last, this will in no distance time encourage open defecation.
Nigerian Universities, constitute an important resource in national educational development. It is seen as the nation’s growth.
The University community is endowed with human and technological know-how resources which are exploited to produce people who are known to meet public and industrial
consumption needs of the country as well as the international requirement.
But the conformity of a building would not be complete without acceptable toilet facilities.
It’s therefore important to note that the role of public toilet facilities in Nigerian universities cannot be underplayed because it is critical, in the sanitation enhancement of the campus environment.
Public toilets are a subject to everybody, no matter their age, class, ethnic origin, gender, mental ability, or physical ability.
Recent findings revealed the unhealthy conditions of toilet facilities amid the poor flow of water in the Ambrose Ali University Hostel housing system where students now resort to using nearby bushes to ease their toilets Convenience results in worry.
According to further findings, the none flow of water supply to flush or disposed of waste in the toilet facilities within the School campuses is a result of the total power supply cutouts within the system, resulting to complete blackout.
It was learned that, since the students returned for the Academic session, it has been total blackouts, no water supply, and a hike in the prices of commons.
Recall that for over eight months, students were kept away from academic operations due to the imbroglio between ASUU and Federal Government.
Students of Ambrose Ali University who have recently returned to school are confined to worse environmental hazards believed to be swirling impediments.
Some students of the institution admitted to engaging in open defecation but said the lack of adequate water and a functional borehole to flush the school toilets was respite possible for their action.
Investigations further revealed that some students would rather use the surrounding areas near the toilets than use the toilets built by the government.
It was observed that the surroundings of different toilets for male and female students were littered with heaps of dirty sachets of water and excreta.
A student who offered to reveal their present predicaments with his identity placed on anonymity said “we have to buy bags of pure water to bath and flush toilets. Since we returned, there has been no light. Some of us can not afford to buy. bags of pure water will have to go to nearby bushes to the toilet. Most times it’s the bush we use as our toilets. Imagine our girls using the bushes as their toilets.
Another student who is a hosteller, who was seen returning from a bush, resonated that, they faced these environmental hazards while accusing the school authority of warning them not to speak to the public about the situation.
A student who pleaded anonymity gave an account of how they are being forced to take an insurance scheme by the Edo state government, a development he said now adds more hardships to their present conditions.
A parent, Steven Omogiate who spoke to our correspondent laments how his children have complained every day about the hostel conditions even as he appealed to the authorities to address the situation.
In his words, ” how can this be happening in this age? My Son every day calls for more money. He told me they have to use the bush to ease their convenience when pressed. That’s not the only thing that he keeps bothering me about, he also said they are forced to take insurance schemes by the Edo State Government. Imagine all these things?
Edo State Government in early October through the commissioner of Communication and orientation, Chris Nehikhare declared that the school has implemented 40,000 learning management systems to ensure lectures continue even when physical classes are not possible.
Nehikhare said the institution, with over 33,000 students, had been in session and was not affected by the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, in his attempt to absorb the pressure that the government was owing the staff of the University.
The question is, if the government has activated 40,000 learning management systems, the institution should not be suffering serious neglect and leaving their cater to its own environmental sanitation needs in terms of public toilet
This is even though tertiary institutions in Nigeria accommodate the largest majority of enlightened people in
the country.
Lack of water and inadequate toilets facility is presently encouraging Open Defecation In Schools using the AAUs conditions.
The University has been in the throe of an Environmental Crisis where students had been warned not to report the situation.
The plan of the Federal Government to end open defecation by 2025 could suffer a setback if some schools in Edo State do not have access to toilet facilities.
According to Nigeria’s National Road Map to making the country Defecation Free, ODF, by 2025, more than 45 million people practice the menace in Nigeria.
The country’s ODF Roadmap implies that to eliminate open defecation, the government must ensure there are acceptable toilets in communities, schools, markets, and, other public places.
THE CONSEQUENCES
Today, Nigerian tertiary institutions are characterized by a
several drawbacks to a sustainable neat environment.
Most hostellers have no organized way of dealing with their solid waste.
These include inadequate
toilet facilities in the public building.
The Poor toilet facilities at Ambrose Alli University are gradually exposing students, of the institution to unannounced rape, death, and kidnapping with the act continuing to push students to open defecation.
Not only are the toilets grossly inadequate in AAU, but the facilities are also appalling and pose great health risks to users.
Health and safety are the most fundamental requirements of habitable buildings.
Unlike the observable characteristics of buildings, for instance, the exterior design and ancillary facilities, their health, and safety performance are usually unknown before it is out of inhabitation.
Besides, health and safety are not confined to building owners but can also adversely affect users, and passers-by.
The situation throughout wastewater is thought to be worse than this, with many facilities not operational or not well maintained with no consideration of aesthetic or health consequences.
Lately, there have been several disease breakouts with Edo Central largely seen as the epicenter of it.
These have translated into several problems thereby exposing university communities into o a series of health risks.
The National University
Commission, NUC, the standard recommends one, toilet to ten students.
The Nigerian Government has long considered the provision of water supply and sanitation services to be the domain of the federal, state, and local governments.
However, the public sector has not been successful in meeting more than a small portion of the demand for water and sanitation of residential and commercial users.
A demographic and health survey carried out by National Planning Commission and ORC Macro in 2003 noted that services are
in critically short supply.
For example, out of the 85 million people living in urban and semi-urban areas, less than half have reasonable access to reliable
water supply.
Water supply services, where they exist, are unreliable and of low
quality and are not sustainable because of difficulties in management, operation, pricing, and failure to recover costs.
Edo State Government must leapfrog out of its deep sleep and address the shortage of water supply to the University campuses and make hostel accommodation habitable for students of the institution.