By Abdulrasheed Olokoto

Despite the presence of solar and electricity-powered lighting, corridors across the various blocks of the Great Independence Hall have been plunged into darkness due to faulty bulbs.

Observations by IndyPress show that many of the bulbs across the hall’s blocks have been faulty since the first semester and remain unreplaced as of the time of filing this report.

Speaking with IndyPress, Peter, a student resident of the hall, questioned why the corridors should remain dark despite the availability of solar-powered bulbs.

According to him, the situation suggests that the solar lights have developed faults that have not been addressed.

“But that is it. It is a lighting issue; it means the solar lighting has a fault that has prevented it from providing light,” he said.

“It would be better for the leadership of the hall to reach out to every department concerned to restore our light,” he appealed.

Sharing similar concerns, Daniel, a resident of B Block, attributed the delay to the elected hall leaders, accusing them of not doing enough to address the situation.

“I will not fully blame the hall management. I will actually blame the leadership of the hall because I don’t think they are pressuring the hall management. I would say the executives have become very weak; I am not seeing their work,” he said.

“Also, early in the morning, the porters come to switch off the lights. They should have noticed it too,” he added.

He further criticised the floor representatives of B Block while describing their lack of proactiveness in addressing residents’ concerns.

“And also our floor representatives. If you look at the A Block, they are having issues with their lights too, but most of their floor reps still try to repair them. So I think our floor reps here are relaxed. Why? The entire floor has no light, yet they are not pressuring the House Secretary and other stakeholders,” he noted.

Speaking on the issue, the House Secretary, Lawal Azeez, said the Executive Council had met with the Hall Management and that efforts were underway to resolve the problem.

“Regarding this issue, I am well aware and very concerned. The Executive Council has met with the Hall Management, and a survey has been conducted to determine exactly how many bulbs are needed. A price quotation has already been obtained, and the management will be purchasing the bulbs from the market soon,” he explained.

“Some pipes have been gotten for wiring already, and are currently inside the supervisor’s office, to be precise. It is something we are working actively on,” he added.