Ever since the resumption for the second phase of the 2017/2018 academic session, Zik Hall has been home for professional and non-professional workmen who have been around to fix one itching spot of Zikites or the other. There has also been bulk delivery of various materials ranging from electrical materials, plumbing materials like toilet seats to some others. There have been some step-ups as regarding developments in the Hall. These, we shall discuss as well as the yet-to-be-touched itching spots in the Hall. Samples of opinions as regarding the state of the Hall from Zikites will as well be aired at the later part of the article. It should however be noted that work is still in progress as at the time this article is being written.
Flowing from the earlier episode titled ‘Case Study: Zik Hall’, apart from the locks of the rooms repaired and replaced, this reform has been extended to the toilets as well. Residents can ease peacefully without the need to use their hands or buckets to force the door closed from behind. There are now locks there. The window nets of the kitchenettes have been replaced with new ones and the kitchenettes seem to be the safest place to cook in the Hall. Supply of water has considerately improved in Zik, with the right mind, this will in turn alleviate non-flushing of toilets by residents. The drinkability or how potable the water is, however gives rise to probing question and diverse opinions by residents. When sampling opinions, some claimed those tagged drinkable are actually not clean and worthy enough but some others proclaimed its drinkable status, however, attention is needed in that regard.
In other news, the overnight electricians in the Hall have finally lost their (un)paid jobs as all electrical faults are presently being fixed, as at the time the piece is being written, the electrical work is being rounded up. New sockets, lamp-holders and switches are being fixed in all rooms. The sources of illumination in corridors which have non-functional for a while now have been fixed and there is proper illumination in all corridors of floors in the Hall. Other electrical faults in the Hall which are seemingly unclassified are being fixed, with the Hall Warden practically monitoring them and making sure nothing is left undone.
The plumbers have been around, drilling holes and trying to find roots of the existing problem as regarding blockage of pipes. In very few floors, new pipes are gradually being used to replace the faulty, old or blockedones, corrections are being made too to allow for free flow of waste water. The hotspot is the gradual replacement of the broken and faulty water closets with new ones in the Hall. Though, all are not replaced yet but the work is still in progress, there is one-thirdhope that all faulty or broken ones will be replaced. The showers in bathrooms are being fixed or rather repaired, with special attention to the control points but they have not been bringing forth water yet, perhaps with time, it will.
As regarding the rest rooms, even with the installation of few new water closets, some toilets still remain disgusting to use. Very stinking waste water, mostly urine, won’t just flow out, the flowing-out channels have either been blocked or won’t just do. It is time and sun that can only make the stagnant water dry off, this is really in need of attention. No one embraces anew palatable dish in the middle of a smelling-stinking river of urine. The problem is not only with the flow of water in bathrooms, it is so with the toilets as well.A giant step was taken to fix the net of windows of the rooms in the Hall; there is still yet another giant step to be taken to fix it completely- the installation of louvers. Most of the louvers are either missing or broken. This was as well-echoed by some residents of the Hall during the VoxPopuli held.
The residents have a lot to say as regarding the recent development. Tofunmi ID, a Block C resident opined that ‘it has been a very good development, we are getting the value of what we paid for, in fact, maybe more than the fees paid (sef), this is a giant step in restoring the past glory of Zik Hall and the University of Ibadan at large. The residents should just inculcate the culture of maintenance to make the facilities last long’. Folarin Mayowa, a Block A resident said that ‘the developments seen so far have been encouraging. Damaged electrical spots in corridors and rooms have been fixed even bulbs were fixed and are in good condition as well asthe switch. Corridor lightings have come back to life in the Hall. But the louvers of most rooms are still incomplete. Few Water Closets were changed but with the same old pipes and the bathroomsare in the same way, no development yet. They seem to still be working on it. Generally, it is quite commendable and I really want to appreciate the effort of the management on this but efforts should be intensified, there is still more room for improvement.’ To Feranmi of the Block B, the latest development has been the most massive ever since he has been a Zikite three years ago, he further said that ‘the toilets are still in the messy condition even with the minimal change of the Water Closets, there is no proper flow of water, I hope they will make a lasting correction to that. Repainting too, it has been done in Idia, they should come and do it in Zik too’. TaiwoGbogo, a resident of Block B commended the management for the renovations, he however mentioned that ‘we hope they will do more as regarding water, taps for tanks for drinkable water are not always flowing all the time unlike other tanks that are most times overflowing, the water provided most times in those tanks cannot be used to cook.’ To an average Zikite, it is quite impressive but the hope is that the changes will be general and not just selective.
