I remember how proud I was of my-generation-people during the ‘noto100k’ struggle. How my heart thumped and tears stung my eyes when they vowed to remain outside the East gate—- in the cold, with the mosquitoes—until justice was served to them. And I had been particularly blown away by the sentence; ‘medicine will now become a course of the rich only. What happens to the poor?’ Everyone seemed to be reciting this sentence. With a feeling of joy mixed with a sanguine hope, I had thought to myself: ‘this is a generation ready to fight for what they believe in, ready to fight against injustice, ready to create a fair society for all’.
Although we had not come out victorious, I had resumed school with a tinge of pride in my head; my shoulders raised high at the generation I am lucky to belong to. I revelled in this newly found pride until recently when the bed-space-sale saga started. My spirit was dampened by the exorbitant prices that flew from one corner of the hall to another: 70k, 85k, 90k, 100k for a bed space of 40k (k- thousand) and I wondered if these prices had been set by people who supposedly fought against extortion, who think it was inconsiderate of the management to fix a price only the rich can afford.
Some argued that it did not just start in ABH, they also had to buy room at exorbitant prices when they didn’t get a room. But really, do two wrongs make a right? Do they even remember the emotions that went through their minds when they were in that situation? Do they really want someone else to feel what they felt, to go through the ordeals they went through in the hands of their buyers?
My soul was filled with apprehension at the thought that these people might make school fees unaffordable in future, if they become the management, with the excuse that the same thing was done to them.
WHY CAN WE NOT BE THE CHANGE WE WANT?
Some tried to garner pity, saying they are trying to raise money for the professional levy… blah.. blah.. blah… Really? Should you raise money from people who like you, are struggling to pay their fees? Abi are we not all together in this 85k era?. Why then did we fight against the management who, because they were supposedly not getting funded by the government, decided to take it out on our ‘poor’ parent?
ARE WE NOT DOING THE SAME THING WE FOUGHT AGAINST?
So that this write up does not seem like the ranting of an angry press man, the opinion of 2 people was sought.
MARIAM, BLOCK B, ABH had this to say:
Well, what goes around comes around because most people that got the bed spaces at exorbitant prices last year are the ones inflating the price this year, although this does not make it right
And for those saying it is to raise the 85k, I believe it is a lie because for you to want to sell your bed space, it means your parents can afford to let you stay in a better place, like catholic hostel. Those who are bent on staying in ABH are those who cannot afford other places, so, why make it difficult for them to pay. I feel we are all just people like the management.
TEMITOPE, BLOCK B said:
I wont blame people charging at exorbitant prices because we are all humans and when we are pushed to the wall, we tend to do things we do not want to do. I will only blame those that afford to pay the school fees and other fees at ease but still sell their bed spaces at exorbitant prices but for people who do not have any other means of raising the money, what do you expect.
Also, people should not rush buying at exorbitant prices because when these sellers do not get buyers, they will bring down the prices.
Sellers should be considerate even if they are trying to get their HTPL (Health Training Professional Levy) .
So, that’s all there is from the bed space saga. I hope that we show a little humanity in all that we do. Some people already find things difficult with this 85k era, I hope we do not make it more difficult with bed space wahala
