Barely six months after Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State inaugurated a much-publicised N800 million hostel project at the state’s College of Nursing Sciences in Ado-Ekiti, SaharaReporters has uncovered disturbing evidence of shoddy construction.
Parts of the facility now leak profusely whenever it rains.
The multi-million-naira project was opened in October 2024. However, just six months later, rainwater has begun to seep through the ceilings of several rooms in the hostel, soaking student mattresses and personal belongings in what was expected to be a safe and modern living space.
This was seen in a video obtained by SaharaReporters from one of the affected students’ parents.
“This is what the students go through anytime it rains, not even one year after the commissioning of the place. The same project that the government claimed they spent N800 million to build, and this has started happening,” a parent of one of the students told SaharaReporters.
“This is one of the reasons we, the parents, have been protesting against paying N920,000 for four students sharing a room in the same hostel, which amounts to N230,000 per student. The quality of accommodation is simply not worth the cost,” the parent added.
SaharaReporters earlier reported how parents of students at the college firmly rejected the hiked hostel accommodation fee of N230,000 as recommended by the Ekiti State House of Assembly.
The concerned parents also demanded an end to victimisation of students who report leaking parts of their hostels and safer hostel accommodation conditions for their children, citing health and safety concerns.
The decision was reached during a virtual meeting held on Sunday, April 6, where the parents unanimously condemned what they described as the school management’s disregard for students’ welfare and safety in the current accommodation arrangement.
In a resolution issued after the meeting, the parents expressed appreciation for the intervention of the House of Assembly but criticised the proposed amount, stating it is unjustifiable given the deplorable state of the hostel facilities.
“We outrightly reject the N230,000 counselled to be paid by the House Committee,” the resolution read.
The 600-bed facility hostel was hailed as a landmark achievement by the Oyebanji administration during its inauguration in late 2024.
Built through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with Bver Hostels and Suites, a company chaired by Architect Dipo Ajayi, who also doubles as the President of the Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON), the project was touted as a model for educational infrastructure in Nigeria.
At the time of its inauguration, Governor Oyebanji praised the initiative as a testament to his commitment to “aggressive infrastructure development” and promised that projects like the hostel would reposition education in Ekiti.
“This is the kind of infrastructure that provides a conducive environment for learning,” Oyebanji said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“We faced challenges, but through unity and resolve, we made it happen. Ekiti deserves nothing but the best,” the governor added.
But the current state of the hostel appears to contradict those lofty claims.
SaharaReporters had also reported how Seluwa Oluwaseun Vincent, a college student, was suspended indefinitely by the institution’s management over an outrageous hike in hostel accommodation fees by the school.
The student also raised the alarm of victimisation by the school management.
The college, in a suspension letter dated January 3, 2025, signed by the Acting Provost, Dr. Awe O. O., and addressed to Vincent, accused him of “blatant refusal” to vacate the former student hostel premises located outside the college campus.
The college also accused Vincent of verbally abusing the Student Affairs Officer (SAO) during the standoff.
The suspension letter obtained by SaharaReporters read, “You will recall that cases of indiscipline were instituted against you recently bordering on your blatant refusal to vacate the former student hostel outside the College of Nursing Campus, and your verbal abuse towards the Students Affairs Officer (SAO) of the College.
“Having followed due process via the College’s Disciplinary Committee, other appropriate channels, and in line with the Students Handbook (2023 Edition), please be informed that Management of the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), College of Nursing Sciences (CONS), Ado-Ekiti hereby places you on indefinite suspension from the College effective immediately.”
