“The most heart-wrenching moments are seeing the old cleaners, drenched and uncomfortable, standing there with sad expressions. The careless and unintentional water poured from the upstairs by students make their work unbearable,” bitterly expressed Mustapha Fatimah, a 400-level Agriculture student.
Fatimah, a first-time occupant of Zamfara Hostel residing in A block, stated, “The cleaners responsible for maintaining the hostel’s cleanliness, often get drenched with dirty water while cleaning the gutters. This is due to poorly designed water passages and the narrow pipes conveying water from the upstairs rooms.”
This situation has bred enmity among the students. Numerous complaints about the poor water drainage have been reported to the security unit. Notably, a fight broke out towards the end of first semester of the 2023/2024 academic session between the residents of A block and C block.
“The students upstairs often brush and pour water without considering those of us living downstairs. As a result, it’s impossible for me to wash and cook in front of my room without getting drenched,” Fatimah lamented.
She suggested that to avoid daily conflicts, a concrete solution should be implemented and pleaded with the management for quick intervention.
Zamfara hostel, one of the largest female halls of residence at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS) houses over 500 occupants. It was jointly constructed by Zamfara State and the university and inaugurated on March 16, 2016, by His Excellency Alhaji Abdulazeez Yari Abubakar. The hostel has been plagued by poor drainage, particularly affecting the students living in block A.
Health is Wealth — Concerned Student
Ajibade Zainab, a 200-level Chemistry student residing in the most affected room, emphasized, “Good health is more valuable than material wealth.” She noted that maintaining physical and mental well-being is essential for a happy and fulfilling life.
“Water gushing down from the upstairs bounces off the railing and pools in front of my room, forming a dam that attracts mosquitoes, houseflies, and other insects,” she explained.
“The taps supplying water for students placed downstairs are close to the pipes conveying dirty water to the gutter. Dirty water dripping from upstairs splashes onto the students’ bodies as well as the water they are fetching,” she added.
“Having a wastewater pipe above a tap used for cooking can create a serious risk of contamination and pose health concerns for students using the water for cooking or drinking,” she warned.
We don’t intentionally pour water — Upstairs’s Resident
Abdulrahman Barakah, a 300-level Linguistics student living upstairs, explained, “We don’t intentionally pour water to splash on people passing downstairs. We are always conscious of using the designed channels, but no matter how careful we are, the water still splashes on those below due to the short hollow pipes and the airwaves that control the water before it reaches the gutter.”
She pleaded with the management to install longer pipes that can directly convey water into the gutter, suggesting this as the best solution to the issue.
The fault lies with the building construction — Hall Governor
In an interview with Happiness Benjamin, the hall governor of A block, regarding the poor drainage in her block, she stated, “The fault lies with the building construction, especially C block. It wasn’t constructed like D block, which is why A block suffers more from this water issue than B block residents.” She also advised the students living upstairs to be considerate when using the drainage pipes.
“I Wasn’t Aware” SU Chairman Says
Speaking with Comrade Abdullahi Sanusi, the chairman of the Students’ Union caretaker committee, about the poor drainage in Zamfara Hostel, he said, “I wasn’t aware because nobody had informed me, but nevertheless, the management will be notified, and steps will be taken to resolve the problem.”
Possible Health Risk — Research
A 2015 research ascertained that, “Drainage systems and its maintenance, if neglected, could pose a threat in both community and healthcare causing infections as well as emergence of multi-resistant bacteria that could cause unpredictable clinical manifestations.”
“In areas with no sanitation, diarrheal mortality is high and has been shown to decrease by 36% after interventions to improve sanitation. Often, infections are faeces associated and when present in wastewater and sewage sludge poses a high risk of infection upon exposure.”