When the Great Independence Hall of Residence was founded in 1961, undoubtedly, one of its objectives was the comfort of students who will be residents of the hall. That is, the Hall must always cater for the needs of its residents. By inference, the foremost principle that should guide the administration of any hall of residence — even more so, of hostels meant to ease the academic demands on students who are residents — is simply the comfort of students’ welfare.
The question about comfort or about what entails comfort comes to mind. And, for the purposes of this article, what is meant by students’ comfort refers to the constant provision of the basic needs of existence —water, security, protection from natural elements, sustainable power supply, clean surroundings, sound buildings, efficient toilet systems, amongst others. Invariably therefore, these things must always exist at every given time, so long as inhabited by students.
Unfortunately for the current students of federal Universities, we barely know any time at which these necessities were in consistent availability. With regards to Independence Hall, the overdue-basic-needs are quite many and visibly pressing. For a start, many toilets and bathrooms in the hall are in conditions that leave much to be desired. And this statement does not quite express the state they are in. Apart from being without water, most cubicles lack a proper water-draining system. Hence, occasionally, the floor overflows with water.
The cases of the kitchenettes present interesting cases. Interestingly different because on one hand, their current state calls for quick renovations. Worn out cabinets; broken pipes; worn out doors — the kitchenettes lack the appeal that should influence residents to cook in them. However, recent developments are such that will totally preclude residents from cooling in them. This recent development is that the kitchenettes are being converted into rooms to cater for the more-than-capacity number of residents. The question to be asked is, as new students are admitted every year, how many more kitchenettes would be converted to rooms, and for how long would we say “no room at the inn” to the increasing number of residents?
With a peculiar focus on this session, Indy Hall has experienced tough bouts with water or the lack of it. Quite frequently this session, pumping machines within the hall have broken down, leaving the residents of the hall to depend on a single machine, and at other times, have had to draw water from the hall’s well while those who couldn’t beat the familiar path to the tanks at the staff quarters. Seeing that this issue has been recurring, it wouldn’t be out of place for the hall to consider more, long-lasting means of putting the problem to bed.
By now, the senses of some residents of the hall, especially the residents of the ground floor of Block C, must have adapted to the condition of the clogged line of drainage behind their rooms. Vividly displeasing, the line of drainage behind block C has always been clogged with stagnant water for a good number of times. The health hazard such condition spells are of common knowledge — mosquitoes, waterborne infections, typhoid, cholera and the likes.
Additionally, the issue of the Common Room for Indy Hall’s residents is worthy of discussion. After being renovated in the course of the (2021/2022) session, the JCR — which is supposed to cater for the social life of Katangites has been, for the most part, under locks and key. This session-long embargo has essentially denied the members of the hall the purpose for which the common room was created. On the other hand, unfortunately, no alternative means have been given. The JCR is not the only facility under lock. The Hall’s gym has equally been locked away from students’ access for up to two sessions now without any explanation nor date as to when the gym will return to operations.
As earlier stated, these needs are basic, and are preconditions before one a student can enjoy a at least, “meaningful” on campus. While these issues, in a way, may come off as trifling, what they are, in essence, is that piece by piece, features of the hall meant to cater for students’ welfare are stripped off the hall or are left to fall into obsoletion. As a consequence, students slough it out to obtain the basic benefits — or things — they should ordinarily enjoy.
On the other hand, it is worth noting that recently, there have been developments in respect of the amenities of the hall, particularly nets and louvers of specific places. Indeed, this is, no doubt, a development that is laudable and welcomed. And at junctures such as this, residents of the hall must be reminded to protect, and carefully deal with these new replacements. The replacements must however be all round. Fixing kitchen nets and leaving rooms vulnerable may birth only suspicion.
The lack of the culture of maintenance has been a long-term problem embattling school infrastructures. In order to deal with this, the leadership of the hall must put in place means of curtailing this problem. A thorough punitive fine-paying system alongside accountability must be adopted. However, such must be fair; not targeted at exploiting the residents of the hall.A comprehensive changing of worn nets from A Block to D block is a necessity of the highest-order.
Ultimately, it is necessary that the leadership of the hall see to these necessities and ensure an effective resuscitation of these salient student infrastructural needs.
