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Socialist Democracy November 2004

By Shola Akinbinu, Member, Education Rights Campaign

In continuation of its pursuit of neo-liberal anti-poor policies of commercialisation and privatisation of education, the government has directed the authorities of the tertiary institutions to hands off the management of student hostel accommodation. The school authorities are asked to facilitate the take over of the hostels by private operators.

Nigerian students must resist this new policy on hostel accommodation by the Obasanjo government, which is meant to further the attack on education. Even already before privatisation, students are paying exorbitantly, as high as N10, 000 in many institutions, to get accommodated on campuses, though, in most cases in a 10-man room originally built for two persons. Expectedly with the privatisation, students would cough up much more without any fundamental change or improvement in the standards of the hotels. And at the same time add to the already outrageous cost of education.

A good hostel accommodation is not a luxury but a necessity for qualitative education. It provides enabling studying atmosphere for students. This is the principle behind the building of hostels by the founding governments. However, their standard has deteriorated over the years due to under-funding of education on the basis of neo-liberal policies and mismanagement by the school authorities. Thus, Nigerian students must not only resist the unwholesome sales of the hostels, but also demand the improvement in the condition of the hostels and provision of more functional ones.

It would be recalled that earlier in the year the government was forced to suspend the policy of charging N10, 000 per bed space, due to the willingness of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) then to mobilise and lead the mass of students in a struggle against the proposed fee. This is a pointer to the fact that with a well-organised campaign and mass student resistance with political action, this anti-student policy can be defeated.

According to Fabian Osuji, the Minister of Education, the policy is a product of the review by the government of the recommendations of Committee set up by the President in the wake of students' agitation against the planned increase in hostel accommodation fees.

Failing in its bid to introduce the outrageous accommodation fee, the government has now resulted to using a backdoor tactic of achieving the same end via the privatisation of hostel accommodation on campuses. But in order to justify the new policy, the Minister of Education stated: "the condition of the hostels as described in the report of the committee were appalling and in many cases, unfit for habitation by our students. After a thorough review of the recommendations of the committee and in an effort to put in place a sustainable system of accommodation, which must meet certain levels of decency, government believes strongly that the management of the hostels must be removed from the control and management of the institutions as they have so far been unable to provide conducive living environment for our students". (Guardian, October 15, 2004).

On the surface, this statement gives an impression of concern by the government about students' welfare. But this impression is spurious. Yes, the gloomy picture painted by Osuji on the sorry state of student hostels and the inability or incompetence of the authorities to provide "conducive living environment" for students is correct. But it is a half-truth. This is because the major cause of the sub-human standard and deplorable condition of the hostels is the characteristic gross under funding of education by the government in line with the dictate of IMF/World Bank inspired neo-liberal policies of privatisation and commercialisation. It is based on the logic of this neo-liberal capitalist philosophy that the government is handing off the running of public utilities like refineries and electricity generation and distribution and provision of social services like education and health care.

This is compounded by the profligacy and mismanagement by the school authorities of even the little resources available. For instance, in spite of the N10, 000 per bed space accommodation charges paid by the students of the University of Ilorin, the management could not provide portable and regular water, full and regular electricity, good toilet and bath facilities. This informed the last student protest that led to the closure of the university and expulsion of the over 20 student leaders and activists. It is a similar reason that has been partly responsible for incessant student protest and agitation at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife whose authorities introduced the accommodation charge of N2, 590 last session and yet could not ensure commensurate improvement in hostel standard. Thus, it is the twin monster of under-funding and mismanagement of resources that is responsible for the dilapidating condition of the hostels.

The solution to the parlous situation of the hostels is not the privatisation of the hostels. It is only a basis for the continuous implementation of the capitalist neo-liberal policies of privatisation and commercialisation of education and establishment of lucrative business ventures for the government anointed profit-making vampires on the campuses. The first principle of private ownership is profit making. Expectedly, the private operators of the hostels would prioritise profit over the need of the student occupants like water, electricity, functional toilet and bath facilities, recreation facilities, etc. even after charging outrageous fees or rent. There are numerous instances to buttress this strong assertion since the private ownership or management is not new in our tertiary education system. (It is only about to become a government policy) Omolayo hostel at the University of Ado-Ekiti is an example. The hostel is simply an eyesore. Lack of portable water, epileptic power supply, debilitating hostel structures, bad toilet facilities, etc are its common features. However, there are other hostels around whose features make Omolayo a splendor! Another example is the polytechnic Ibadan whose hostel management is in care of various private operators and the hostels still lack basic facilities. Recently, the students of Orisun Hall of the institution went on rampage because for almost a month, there was no light and automatically, no water since they rely on borehole that uses electricity.

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), various students' unions and pro student organisation like Education Right Campaign (ERC) should commence a well-coordinated campaign that will actively involve the rank and file students against this policy. We should champion and demand adequate funding of education and the democratic management of the hostels by the elected representatives of the students along with the authorities. The struggle must also be linked to the overall struggle against neo-liberal capitalist policy of commercialisation and privatisation.

Socialist Democracy November 2004