Bed-spaces sell for over N15,000 in Bidapoly hostels ….it’s an offence – official
Surveys have shown that students sell their bedspaces for over N15,000 at the federal Polytechnic in Bida to fellow students who could not get accommodation. Some hostel residents who spoke with YOUTHVILLE student reporter in the campus decried the situation saying they are being exploited by fellow students for inadequate accommodation spaces.
Abdullahi Garba, a Business Administration student said he bought his bed space for N25,000 “when I just got admission because I was desperate to get accommodation in the hostel.”
Another affected student, Agness Joseph in the Science Laboratory Technology department also explained how she bought a bed space for N15,000 from a fellow student who got bed-space through balloting even though the seller stayed offcampus.
But the senior Hall Officer of the polytechnic, Mallam Mohammed Umaru has warned those that engaged in the resale of hostel to desist from it or face the penalty attached to such act.
In an interview, Umaru said that there has been a punishment attached to the offence as it is seen as fraud among the students. “The punishment upon those students selling accommodation to other students at a higher price is retrieving of the bed-space, while he or she faces the disciplinary committee,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Student Union Government director, Comrade Kenkwo John said sales of bed-spaces by students at higher prices have been a challenge to the SUG and the institution’s management.
“I remember during the balloting of the hostel accommodation, we went round to sensitize the students not to buy hostel accommodation from their fellow students at a higher price,” he explained.
While calling on students to report such exploitative acts to the authorities, the SUG also enjoined the polytechnic administration to build more hostels for the students as the hostels are inadequate for the teeming entrants.
From Japhet Magaji, HND II Mass Communication student, Federal Polytechnic Bida.