The students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo state resumed their academic activities on the 17th of October, 2022 after the lengthy 8 months strike.
Enthusiastically, the students who have waited so long at home have more than beyond energy to resume their class activities, and most importantly, the finalist, they cannot wait to sign out.
However, their enthusiasm ends up short-lived as a result of the irregular and epileptic power supply in the host community, Akungba Akoko. The Students expressed their grievances over the poor and shortage of power supply.
According to them, the irregular supply greatly affects their academic activities and welfarism. Several students as well as a member of the Student Union executives were interviewed to share their experience on what is cooking under the
In the interview with the Student Union welfare director, Odole Mojisola. She stated that it’s no longer news that lack of enough power supply has been a prevailing issue in Akungba.
According to her, “At the meeting the members of Student Union executives had with the NEPA guys, we were made to understand that the shortage of supply is not really the fault of Akungba staff as power is being allocated from Kogi State and it develops faults often.
“Though this seems to be true, I find it difficult to believe as it’s always been that there is constant light when the month is almost coming to an end.’
“I have a poor comment on the electricity supply here in Akungba. It is so sad to say that students who are managing their materials and finances to sustain themselves, still dim it fit to pay for electricity only for it not to be regular.”
Samuel Adebisi, a 100-level student, lamented in his interview. He stated that it is only right that students enjoy what they pay for.
He added, “It annoys that the electricity is brought at most, 5 times a month which is not fair enough.”
A 200-level student, Hassan Damilola categorically claimed that the power supply has been a nightmare ever since she became a student at the school.
Also noted that it has been an ongoing nightmare as she heard from her siblings who were once students of the school.
“It was inappropriate that for the little time the power was supplied, it was always at night when students are always already asleep and had little or no use for it, so I want to call on all concerned authorities to take up this call as a call for responsibility for them to do what is right by serving the students needed light. It is very essential for our progress.”
Issa Samuel, a 400-level linguistics student, also gave his quota. He asserted that the condition of electricity in Akungba is pathetic and recursive.
He said that the worst of the whole saga is that the power supply is not predictable.
“Electricity In Akungba is not encouraging at all. I will say we, the users, are being used as cashouts for the so-called PHCN because they don’t give us what we pay for and this is disheartening.”
Aguda Kolade, a 300-level student remarked that they only gave stable supply a few days to their visits to demand electricity fees. Only to return the power to its unstable state after accomplishing its mission. He further added, that the power supply always stands stable whenever the university students are off campus but unstable when they resume.
Adesola Ololade, Mass Communication dept also noted that,
“I’m just surprised with the method at which things are being done in this country generally, electricity issue is something that can be solved in our yard right here without any problem, but those NEPA guys may not blink the light for a week and when it’s getting to month end, you will see them carrying ladder moving from coast to coast and villa to viall to collect their take-home because that’s what I see it as.
“They don’t render the service, yet, they want to collect the money from the students and this is bad, so I will just plead with them all to please temper justice with mercy, as far as they are collecting the money, they should give us enough light, we are students and we really need this.”
As students continue to share their anguish and grievances, they greatly hope that solutions will be preferred to the electricity nightmare.
