The Okeke female hostel at University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, was
gutted by fire last night. The fire started
as a result of a
spark from the wire when the school generator supplied
power to the hostel.
This is the
worst fire incident in the university as neither the Dean of
student affairs, the director of works department nor the
Chairman of Servicom who came around was able to save the situation.
Most painful is that men of the fire service who came around were
incapacitated as they had no water. Even the
director of works could not do anything. Lack of water in both the
hostel and the neighbouring outing ones made even
students who came to rescue the situation handicapped.
Finally, men of the fire service returned after the whole of
300 series which is a total of 34 rooms had perished, thereby rendering
136 or more students homeless and useless as all their documents,
property, and even possibly,
compulsory laptops for which some are yet to pay up, have all gone up in
ashes.
A student who is an honourable member of the House of Representatives
said she has written so many times about the connections to the
appropriate quarters without any response.
There is no functional fire service in the whole University
town of Nsukka.
The wild fire which is akin to what I watch in American horror movies
could have been controlled
if the works department of the school is well equipped. I
would want to believe that the university administration will
adequately compensate the victims; some of who are already
enjoying their xmas holiday.
In just a year, 3 female hostels in UNN had had fire accident.
First it was Okpara hostel, then Aja-Nwachukwu and now Okeke.
