At the beginning of the session, payments were being made for accommodation on campus. Fresh students were to pay ₦30,000 while returning students were to pay ₦25,000 following an increment from the old ₦3,090 and ₦2,590 respectively.
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Notwithstanding, some returning students, paid ₦30,000 because that was the amount on the portal as of then. Consequently, the portal was later reviewed to reflect ₦25,000 and a refund of ₦5,000 was promised to those who paid more than ₦25,000. However, up to date some of those who paid more than the required amount are yet to be refunded their ₦5000 balance as only a few have been disbursed.
Also, some students paid ₦40,000 for the newly renovated blocks in Awolowo Hall of Residence, but they were later told that the spaces in the block were not meant for everyone, However, some of these individuals who paid wrongly are yet to get their money back.
Affected Students Share Ordeals
Oluwatosin, a part 4 student and occupant of Moremi Hall stated that she printed her clearance, wrote a letter and took it to the Senate. According to her, she said, ‘It was signed and I wrote my account number too’. She stated further that, ‘I heard that they have started paying some people but I have not received anything’.
Titilope (not her real name) said, ‘I am even entitled to a refund of ₦7,000plus’. She explained that when the balloting was first done towards the end of the 2021/2022 session, she got a space and she paid immediately. She said, ‘I have written my letter since November. So, I do not know the cause for the delay’.
She stated further that the letter writing was not a directive but it was just written to request for refund. ‘We wrote it to the bursary’, she said. Titilope further explained that some people are already receiving alerts of the refund while some people have not received theirs yet. She said, ‘I have friends that wrote the letter before I did. I think those people who wrote the letter earlier enough have already gotten their refund. While those that wrote it later have not gotten their refund’.
Adedolapo Adeyanju, a resident of Moremi Hall shared the same experience. She stated that having written the letter, she thought they were doing it batch by batch. She further stated that she heard that the management had been paying. She said, ‘I will probably go to their office when I resume’.
William Kayode, a resident of Fajuyi Hall said, ‘There was a time they (management) said if you do not pay, your bed space will be revoked’. He decided to pay the money but when he got to the portal, he saw ₦30,000. He said, ‘I had no choice but to pay ₦30,000. It was later that they said ₦5,000 was going to be refunded’.
Kayode further stated that he wrote a letter and went to the bursary office. He said, “The person we met in the bursary office said they will start disbursing the money to us after 7 months’.
Taiwo, an occupant of ETF Hall who has gotten a refund explained that he was informed by his sister to write a letter requesting for refund. He was also told to submit it at the bursar’s office. He said, ‘I think I submitted it around November if I can remember’. He stated further that he got the refund around “mid-February. I think February 16”.
On the issue of paying for a space in the renovated block in Awolowo Hall, Segilola Taiwo explained that when he first got the information that the block was available, he decided to make payment. After the payment, he was not able to get the space. It was later that he found out that there is a list of people that spaces have been allocated to. It is those people that are meant to make payment for the bed spaces. Taiwo further explained that he had to go to the senate building to complain and he was told to write a letter and submit the receipt. He did that but it was the photocopy he submitted. He was also told that he would get the alert soon since he had submitted the original receipt.
Management Reacts
The Dean of the Division for Student Affairs, Professor John Odedire in a conversation with ACJOAU correspondent via WhatsApp explained ‘I’m not aware of the situation with these sets of students.” He further stated that ‘Why have they not come to DSA to report?’ As of press time, efforts to get further information from him proved abortive.