By: Ebunoreofe Adedeji/Queen Idia Press
While residents of the Queen Idia Hall remain perturbed about sharing their residential premises with snakes, relevant authorities have assured the damsels that their unwanted tenants would soon be sacked.
As narrated in part one of this series, the reptiles increased in numbers during the 8-month strike of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike and resumption of school activities. In the previously written article, Queen Idia Press gathered that Idiates had seen snakes on about five different occasions.
School Management’s Intervention: The Zoo Team’s Report
On Friday, November 18, the day after the most recent snake sighting, a team was sent from the Zoo division of the university’s Zoology department to investigate the appearances of snakes within the hostel.
On a call with the Director of the University of Ibadan Zoo, Dr Henrietta Awobodu, she confirmed that the team visited the hall that day. According to her, “We came there…if we found the snakes, we would have picked the snakes but the snakes had moved.” “We saw areas where snakes could be coming in and out of the hall…most importantly, we think you need to fumigate”, she added.
She further emphasized the importance of fumigating the hall, cutting the bushes and closing the openings where snakes could easily enter int0 the hostel.
Dean of Students’ Response
Responding to the Idia Hall issue, the Dean of Students Affairs, Professor Keye Abiona corroborated the claim of the Idia Hall chairperson, Adeyemi Aishat, that the Dean said snake trackers would be in the hall the following morning and snake repellent seeds would also be planted within the hostel environment.
He said, “As she reported to me I had to call the Dean (of Science) the next day that they should send a team to track down the snakes.” He also added that all Halls of Residence would be fumigated during the break. In his words, “Immediately we have our break now, we are going to fumigate all the halls.”
Hall Warden Says Hall Management Is Working On It
The Hall Warden, Dr. Olufunke Ezekiel, was asked by Queen Idia Press on the stance of the Hall Management as regards the distressing situation. “We are working on it”, she responded.
