It is no longer news that 300 series in Okeke Hostel of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka has gone up in flames. However, there are a number of things you may not know or most probably, you have heard but still do not believe. As a result of this, I have taken it upon myself to add mine to the many write-ups about the darkest of all Christmas in the history of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
THE DETAILS FROM MY PERSPECTIVE
On Wednesday, 23rd December, 2015 at about 8:00pm, I was about retiring for the day, haven returned early that night, when my friend and colleague in the department sent me a distress call, “Chibueze! Where are you? Please I need your help. My hostel is on fire.” On hearing her, I found myself wishing again I were a Superman (if it ever existed outside the world of dreams and fictions). Putting on all I had put off beforehand, I hurried to Isa-Kaita Hostel from the University’s Second Gate (you can never know the distance if you have not visited UNN). With each step I wished I could fly faster than I ran. Before I got to the scene, I had called as many persons as came to mind, even though some of them already heard and were all making moves to salvage the situation.
On arrival, I saw
a truck from the Fire Service Station outside school moving to the back of the hostel but got stuck somewhere. On enquiries, I was told the fire fighters came around when the fire was in the third room but for some reasons could not put out the fire. Further investigations revealed that some male students who were in the hostel when the fire started tried helping to put out the fire but were sent out by security men alongside all the occupants of the hostel while the hostel was locked up; their reason being that the students should wait for men from the fire service station, and also save their lives first before any other thing. Besides, there was no water in the affected hostel and some neighbouring ones. Some also broke into the Hall Porter’s Office to switch off the source power supply to the hostel as the spark continued to reverberate in other rooms. At this point, some students resorted to silent prayers amidst tears. According to some of them, they were already getting used to living without water supply, thus they go to any hostel that has water around when the need arises. Since the fire fighters could not put out the fire, it raged on fiercely while the harmattan wind catalyzed the spread. It blew off the roof one room after the other like a piece of paper while students watched their property turn to ashes.
After about thirty minutes, a water tanker came from the university’s Works Department but could only put out the fire that fell from the room to the ground floor. There was no ladder, so neither the men nor the students could do anything about the fire on the last floor. Thus, the fire raged on. With seventeen (17) rooms on each wing, a total of thirty-four (34) rooms went up in flames. About fifteen (15) minutes after it had burnt down the last rooms on the series, a fire service van from Enugu arrived but could not even put out the fire in one room, much less the whole rooms. The targeting was bad as the water pumped from the top of the van penetrated the rooms in 200 Series instead of the fire burning in 300 Series. At some points, it was pumped beyond the rooms in the series on fire while which got only a fraction of the water pumped. After about ten to fifteen minutes of pumping water from the van, they drove off without making as much impact as could be felt by the fire.
THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE
Careful investigations revealed that the fire was caused by a spark which came from an electrical connection in one of the rooms, when there was a change in power supply. The fire from the spark later became uncontrollable due to explosions from cooking gas. According to an occupant of the room, there was a cut in power supply and the next time it was restored, it came with very high voltage which ignited the fire. This claim was supported by correspondents in some of the eateries near the hostel as they confirmed that the high voltage also damaged some electrical appliances in their shops.
Some students who were interviewed complained about how they had written to the Works Department of the University so many times about the dangerous connections in their rooms to no avail. According to them, the responses from Works Department had been of this sort:
“We cannot come yet since it is just one room. When there are more rooms affected, we will take care of them at the same time.”
“Ok. We will be there soon.”
… and many of such words which were never backed up by actions. At such, some of the students said they resorted to calling any available electrician who could help fix their electrical fittings. Most times, these electricians are prevented from coming into the hostels by the Hall Supervisors who refer to them as quacks. Thus, the students are forced to live with these dangers while hoping that one day, men from the Work Department of the University would answer their many letters.
THOSE I MET AT THE SCENE AND MORE
It was a horrible situation at the scene of the incidence. I may not be able to mention all those I saw there but I will do my best. Officials of the Student Union Government who I met include Comr. Anyanwu Maximus, Rt. Hon. Ncheteka Magnus, Hon. Victor Emenike, Sen. Chukwu Emmanuel, Hon. Okpe David, Hon. Adaeze who is one of the victims, Hon. Victoria among others. Others like Comr. Nebo Joy Chinaza, Comr. Noble Chinenye and Ejyk Chris (FOSSSA) kept in constant touch through phone calls all through the night and the next morning. The Dean of Student Affairs was also there alongside the Director of Works Department and some men from the same. Other members of staff of the university were there before the Vice Chancellor came in, met with some of them briefly and left, Rymzo who I never saw but knew he was around.
At a point, I overheard the Director of Works saying, “Look at what a student has caused for everybody.” Whatever that meant, I may have find out later. A fracas almost ensued between him and some Reverend Sisters while they moved their things out of the hostel that night. I later learnt that he tried insisting that they were supposed to clear with the Security Department of the University before taking anything out of the university’s hostel. This the driver of the van that came to take the Sisters away did not find funny and so replied in a way that angered the Director who tried stopping them but could not, as he zoomed off.
Another side talk I heard from one of the officials was, “Holiday rue asi umuakwukwo naa, ha ama nna.” (Holiday time, you tell students to go home but they won’t go). And on brooding over this, some questions popped up on my mind. According to the university’s timetable of events for the session, Christmas holiday is meant to begin on Tuesday, 22nd December, 2015. Is it a crime for students to take their time to pack up before travelling or must they leave out of their hostels within 24 hours? Would it be out of place to give students seven (7) days to vacate the hostels at the beginning of each holiday? Why must the university expect the students to leave her hostels with immediate effect each holiday as though they were given these hostels for free?
Before I left the scene that night at about 11:30pm, I saw some security men carry some of the belongings of the students to away, most probably to the university’s security post to safeguard them until the owners come for them. The only ones left were those whose owners were around to claim.
THURSDAY, 24th DECEMBER, 2015
I returned to the scene of the fire incidence at about 7:30am to find out that the affected students were left to their fate over the night. Some had to squat with friends while hoping that something would be done on or before their return from the Christmas break. The hostel was still under locks and keys as at 8:00am. The Hall Porter on duty said she could not open it as she had been asked to lock it up. However, with pleas and explanations, we prevailed on her to open the hostel so students may get their belongings to somewhere safer.
Also, we observed that the fire which was allowed to run its course over the night had begun penetrating the floor below the 300 Series. According to a civil engineer on ground, an inbuilt plywood which ran through from the ground floor to the top was the channel through which it spread. Thank God for the spirited effort of some men who came to help as we got water and detergent, headed to both series and did the much we could to salvage the situation. Men from the Fire Service Station in Enugu were also on ground to help. Students were seen scattered all over the field at the hostel with their belongings as they hoped or planned for an alternative accommodation. Some fellowships also came around to help take the belongings of their members to their secretariat for safe-keeping.
Due to the damages caused by the fire on the hostel, students in both 100 and 200 Series were advised to park their things out of the hostel as the decking above 200 Series had not only been weakened but cracked so badly it could cave in at any moment. Besides, as far as 200 Series was not safe, 100 Series wasn’t either.
STATISTICS OF THE DAMAGES
Truth be told, no one can actually give a perfect analysis of the damages caused by this fire incidence, not even myself. However, I was able to gather some of the statistics I will outline below from some of the victims, and also did some analysis based on what is obtainable on ground in the university. It is open to criticism but whatever your take on this, remember to go back to the first statement on this paragraph.
Considering the fact that thirty four (34) rooms were burnt down, and the allocation is four (4) students per room, no less than one hundred and thirty six (136) students have been sent out of the hostels they just got as a result of this fire outbreak.
Since hostel allocation has been hell this session, it is expected that some students would have been squatting in some of these affected rooms because they have not been able to get hostel allocation. This we may not have a good record of as anyone who squats does so secretly as he or she would be evicted from the hostel when caught.
Since all the occupants of Okeke Hall have been advised to vacate for safety, the statistics above is tripled. Thus, no less than four hundred and eight (408) students have thus far been displaced.
Certificates, credentials and other documents served as fuel for the fire.
Laptops, both old and new, and some which may not have been fully paid for were all burnt to ashes.
Clothes, food stuffs, toiletries, utensils, etc. could not survive it.
Of a truth, the list is endless.
My heart goes out to all who as a result of this painful situation will celebrate their Christmas in a way they never planned. Personally, I am yet to get a full list of those affected by this but I know among them are:
Mimi (History Department)
Hon. Ada (Biological Sciences)
Miracle (Linguistics Department)
Judith (Archaeology and Tourism Department)
We feel your pain dear ones, and will do the much we can to give you the succor we can afford.
While we grieve with our fellow Lions and Lionesses, we hope and pray that the university administration finds a way to wipe the tears off their eyes.
ALERT!!!
In the course of helping students bring out their belongings from the hostel on Thursday morning, one of them asked me, “Please what will be the fate of the affected students now? Will the university compensate them?” Though I had no definite answer to her question, I was about giving her hope as much as I could when a Hall Porter who overheard our conversation said, “You are talking about compensation when the University authority is concluding plans to surcharge the students for damages on their return.” These words made my ears tingle. Inasmuch as I am yet to hear from other authorities on the matter, I plead with as many as have the good of the students at heart to do their best to save a worse situation than we already have in our hands. If you think it is not possible, then you may as well be a prospecting student of the university who has not come to terms with the fact that the university has been surprising us for over a year now. For fear of reminding us some ugly surprises we have received thus far, I wish to point at two.
The mid-semester break which saw students leaving the university hostels in less than 48 hours with security men combing the hostels to forcefully evict them out… you know the details as much as I do.
The compulsory laptop issue. At first, we all chanted on social media, “IT IS NOT POSSIBLE. HOW CAN UNN FORCE STUDENTS TO BUY LAPTOPS? WHAT OF THOSE WHO ALREADY HAVE…?” until we were caught unawares. We found ourselves reacting to the actions of the university administration and before we could achieve anything in that light, it had caused more damages than we expected.
If it be delegation, consultation or dialogue, we must employ it as soon as possible to ensure we drive home the obvious fact that these students who have lost so much should be compensated and not otherwise.
A pain to one is a pain to all. In the spirit of aluta, let us join hands to not only pray for the victims of OKEKE HOSTEL FIRE INCIDENCE but to also do the much we can to wipe the tears from their eyes.
As we gather more information on the incidence and the aftermath, we will keep you posted
Below are some pictures and videos from the ugly incidence.
Comr. Okeke Chibueze
Manager,
Electronic Information,
SUG, UNN
Video 1
Video 2
Video 3
Video 4
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