Students at the University of Ilorin are facing an unprecedented transportation crisis that has left many spending up to four hours daily waiting for shuttle buses under the harsh sun. The situation has become so severe that some students have reported fainting from exhaustion while others contemplate deferring their academic sessions.
Daily Struggle Under the Scorching Sun
Recent visits to the campus revealed distressing scenes of students standing in painfully long queues, many sitting on bare floors due to fatigue, while others used notebooks and umbrellas as makeshift shields against the unbearable heat. For students living off-campus, this ordeal occurs twice daily – before morning lectures and again in the afternoon when returning home.
Zainab Musa, a 200-level student, shared her traumatic experience: "Sometimes I leave home by 6:30 am and still miss my 8 am class because of this queue. You will stand till your legs start shaking. I fainted here last week. My friends helped me. This is not life."
The emotional toll was equally evident as Faith Ogunlade confessed: "Sometimes I just cry. The sun is too much, the crowd is too much. You'll be pushed, shouted at, and still wait for hours. I don't know how long we can continue like this."
Academic Performance and Health at Risk
The transportation chaos is taking a significant toll on students' academic performance and physical health. Samuel Adebayo, a final-year student, expressed his frustration: "I'm mentally tired. Imagine standing for three hours before lectures, then standing again after class to go home. Many of us reach home around 7 pm. We don't even have the strength to read again."
Health concerns have become increasingly urgent, with Azeez, another student, revealing he now considers deferring a semester: "My health is suffering. I have an ulcer, and staying this long without food is killing me slowly. I don't know if I will cope till the semester ends."
Parents have also voiced their concerns, with Odunola Taiye, who witnessed the situation while dropping off her daughter, expressing deep worry: "Honestly, too sad to watch, walai talai. When I went there to drop my daughter off at school, I felt sad and worried about the situation. The University of Ilorin should find a solution. Walai, students can collapse from this line up."
University Administration Responds
In response to the growing outcry, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Wahab Egbewole, SAN, issued a statement acknowledging the challenges faced by students. He appreciated their "resilience, maturity, responsiveness, and calmness in the face of the daunting challenges."
The VC explained that the relocation of the park was implemented for safety and security reasons rather than to inconvenience students. He provided hope for immediate resolution, confirming that additional buses, including 100 Electric Vehicles, were expected to arrive within days.
"While we appreciate that an extra day of this challenge is costly, please be assured that Administration is doing everything within its powers to resolve this matter without any further delay," Professor Egbewole assured the student community.
The situation has sparked criticism from students who find the conditions embarrassing for an institution that prides itself as "Better by far." Bayo Lawal described the scene as "like a village school. Very primitive in the 21st century. Better by far indeed."
As the university administration works to implement solutions, students continue to endure the daily struggle, hoping for rapid resolution to a crisis that affects both their educational pursuits and personal well-being.
