By: Kuti Hall Press
Behold, the Kuti Peace Torch is on fire, peace burns away, smoke billows, residents’ scleras are red, and there is no time to beat around the burning bush. There is an issue at hand— rooms in the finalists’ Block D of the Ransome Kuti hall will now have three occupants with the third being non-finalists (stalites).
THE SOURCE OF THE SMOKE
The fire began as a rumour that Block D of the Ransome Kuti Hall will now have 3 residents per room, and the third man might even be a non-finalist. This was because it seemed the Hall management had taken more occupants than usual. This was overlooked by many as no one envisaged the abolishment of an age-long tradition across all Halls of Residence which affords two occupants per room in finalists blocks.
Last week, it became apparent that third residents were being assigned to the finalist block with rooms D1 to D9 and some on the first floor already with unexpected third co-tenants.
UCJUI gathered that although other blocks are assigned at least three and at most, four occupants, the finalist’s block had always been occupied by a maximum of two occupants, until this session.
“Unhappy” Finalists React
In reaction, finalists wore masks of annoyance, concealing their agitation against the sour development; they had looked forward to being finalists, and being prioritized in the allocation of rooms, that they never thought they will be subjected to such un-alluring condition.
“I am not happy (with this situation). Traditionally, the Finalists block is meant to accommodate just two students. Now it is being turned to three. So I am unhappy”, Martins, a finalist told our correspondent.
Speaking to Ola, another finalist in the Hall of Great Men, he had this to say; “Two years ago, we had more students living in the hall, than is the situation at the moment. The management trying to say now that we have more Kutites, is, let me carefully say, a fallacy. When we had more people, the rules were upheld and the culture was upheld. Nnamdi Azikiwe Hall being able to maintain their own culture, and Ransome Kuti Hall not being able to maintain same culture is a huge slap on our face. I would say that the management should go back to the system which worked before. Freshers could always adapt as they are coming into a new system. On my floor, I would probably have a hundred-level student on my floor, in the Finalist block! It would not even be comfortable for the fresher himself. Let us go back to the way things were before. Don’t change things.”
Emmanuel lamented. “We all know accommodation isn’t always sure for stalites, but the hall using many stalites’ application to stay in the hall as a justification to put them in the finalist block and increase the number from 2 per room to 3 is very disturbing. Moreso, as regard Covid, there’s no doubt that 3 in a room is too crowded because of the room size.”
WHAT ARE THE HEADS OF THE KALAKUTA REPUBLIC SAYING?
The Hall Chairman, Charles Osigwe, was called out by agitated finalists to question the Hall Warden concerning the news that they were hearing. It was gathered that a closed-door meeting did take place with Hall Chairman and our correspondent reached out to him. He had this to say:
“Basically, this is the first time in the history of Kuti Hall that we are seeing such scenario. A lot of finalists have complained to me. But when I had a closed-door meeting with the Hall Warden, he gave a strong reason which I actually did understand. There is a high influx of Kutites coming into the hall due to the robbery case ongoing at Agbowo. A lot of parents are begging for their children to stay in the hall. The Hall warden is an honest man and he is quite pressured as names are being sent to Kuti Hall on a daily basis.”
The Hall Chairman, Charles Osigwe, spoke more on this decision from the Management. He said, “Kuti Hall has the best standards and the best facilities, and many parents would want their wards to stay in the hall. They are our brothers as Kutites and we should try our best to accommodate them. I have to apologize to Kutites that they should kindly bear with us for this session alone.”
In an interview with the Hall Warden, Dr. Ojebuyi, he promised to try his best to maintain the standard he met on ground and ensure the students live peacefully while enjoying good facilities.
More Reactions from Angry Kutites
A certain Akin expressed displeasure at the development. He said, “I don’t feel it is actually cool. The excuse they gave is that they are trying to prevent students from coming under harm, outside the school. But, during our own time, this same issue was happening. Finalists are not being allowed to enjoy the liberty and the privacy they have always wanted. I, personally, if I had known that this was what they are going to do, I wouldn’t have come to live in the school’s hall of residence. Because what I enjoy the most now is privacy. Just two per room. That is what brought most of us back. So why are they infringing on our right. It is our right.”
Ola added, “It is a norm in Halls to have Fresher’s block, Finalists block and ‘Staylites’ block. It may not be constitutionally written, but it is a norm. You cannot decide to switch and change everything. We are not trying to cause segregation. You might say for harmony, we should be together, but you are never going to harmonize people who are not like-minded. At the end of the day, what it will end up causing is too much problem that we cannot handle. There would not be cohabitation, as people cannot cohabit among themselves if they are not like-minded. The management is trying to place the issue on a high influx of students coming in, but we have always had a lot of applicants. Choosing to turn D-Block which is normally accommodating two per room to three in a room is not it.”
Other Issues in The Kalakuta Republic
Some finalists who spoke with UCJUI, registered some other challenges faced in the hostel. Some finalists claimed that they used their money to repair nets, sockets, locks, and lamp holders in their rooms in order to enhance their living condition. Other students claimed that they had sent countless unresolved complaints to the hall management. The news of more students being allocated rooms to this peculiar block, to make a total number of three occupants, did not sit well with the hall finalists. It is seen as a disgrace to the tradition which make students envious and aspire to get to the Finalist’s block.
What Will the Great Men of Kuti Do?
A popular student in the hall, who prefers anonymity, lamented over the public image of the hall. He said, “When the name Kuti is mentioned in a public space, the conversation hovers around the Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, the Kalakuta Republic, Reverend Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, Beko Ransome-Kuti, activism, music, and the likes. The Kuti name is evidently connected with gentleness, firmness, and activism.
“However, when Ransome Kuti Hal is mentioned in the University of Ibadan, there is an air of docility and mockery around it. The conversations that billow in the mind when the hall is mentioned are either aimed at mockery of the docility of its residents or the richness of their pockets. Then one hears things like ‘Mummy’s boys’, ‘the fourth female hall’, ‘Kudia Hall’, ‘Kuti cafeteria food is terrible’, and the likes.”
A tradition has been broken in the Ransom Kuti Hall, and the self- acclaimed ‘Great Men’ of the hall, particularly finalists, are not satisfied with the new development. But will the murmured protests of these Great Men change anything?
