• How we’re coping with naira crunch, fuel scarcity –Students, lecturers
By Gabriel Dike, Fred Ezeh and Adana Nnamani (Abuja), Laide Raheem (Abeokuta), Chijioke Agwu (Abakaliki), Geoffrey Anyanwu (Enugu) and Stanley Uzoaru (Owerri)
Students of tertiary institutions have expressed pains and frustration over the biting effects of naira crunch and fuel scarcity. They are also worried about the negative impacts on their academic activities on campus.
Lecturers are not left out. They recounted their ordeal in searching for the new naira notes and petrol in banks and filling stations, respectively, without success.
One such lecturer, Chris Mario, Abia State University, Uturu, said: “Periodically, the banks supply the new naira notes to ATMs within the campus, but they are insufficient to meet the needs of the customers. The new notes are limited in circulation.
“A few banks in the state have the new naira notes in ATMs at their different branches. But the population and rush are very high, thus leading to congestions and tussles.
“Besides, the naira has even lost its value by over 20 per cent due to rising inflation. Fuel scarcity has worsened an already bad situation. A litre of fuel is about N400. The cost of fuel has made matters worse for students and lecturers. It’s not easy for people, especially students.”
Goodness Nathan, a 500 level Law student, University of Abuja (UNIABUJA): “The effects of naira and fuel scarcity are better imagined. It has been like hell for me and some of my friends this period.
“The challenge for us is not even about not having money now. But inability to access the money you have in your bank account. Some days ago, I went to a PoS operator to get some money to buy foodstuff. I was charged N1,000 for the N5,000 I withdrew.
“Remember that inflation has messed up the naira. The currency has continuously lost its value due to inflation. It has been terrible for us as students.”
Gbenga-Olaifa Mayowa, a 500 level Law student of UNIABUJA, said: “We barely go to lectures early due to lack of cash. To photocopy library materials like past questions has become tedious. With high cost of transportation, we now think twice before leaving our hostels. There’s financial discipline now because you spend money wisely. That’s the only benefit of this situation. We compromise just to survive.”
A visit to Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY), Abeokuta, Ogun State, revealed that skeletal academic activities were being undertaken by the lecturers. The campus commercial ground, where canteens, business centres and others were located, was like a ghost town.
President of the Students Union Government, MAPOLY, Adelola Ezekiah Babatunde, said students have been subjected to pain and stress due to the dual effects of naira and fuel scarcity. He bemoaned the situation where students trek to campus, high cost of living and their inability to receive lectures.
He added that, before the issue of naira scarcity, drivers of shuttle buses to and from campus were already complaining over bad roads and fuel scarcity: “Naira scarcity has worsened the precarious situation.”
Speaker, Students Representative Council, MAPOLY, Attu Tobi Suru, said, apart from students finding it difficult to meet their daily needs, the situation disrupted academic activities: “Many students can no longer pay for food and other basic services as money sent to them is trapped in banks.”
Public relations officer, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Ogun State Joint Campus, Olufemi Owoeye, said students were being subjected to undeserved pains and hardship, “as students find it difficult to attend lectures. Naira scarcity preceded by fuel scarcity has exposed the failure of the Nigerian government to cater for its citizens.
“If the situation is not addressed as soon as possible, the attendant civil unrest will be more than what the country experienced during the EndSARS protest.”
A management staff of MAPOLY who preferred anonymity said: “Naira scarcity has dire effects on the activities of the school. Just 1 per cent of the students have paid tuition fees.”
A students’ union official, Federal University, Ndufu Alike Ikwo, Nnamdi Egbe, said: “Things are so hard that some of the eateries within the campuses have closed, thereby increasing hunger. Worst of it is that the only commercial bank inside the campus has long stopped operations.
“Students have to resort to PoS operators around the campus to get money. These operators charge exorbitant rates. We are appealing to the Federal Government to resolve the matter urgently.”
Seun Olufemi, 300-level student, University of Ibadan (UI), Ibadan, Oyo State, said: “Some students have changed their feeding formula to 0-1-0 because of scarcity of new naira notes. Many hardly eat two meals a day due of lack of money. Money for feeding and other sundry expenses are trapped in the banks.
“Many students now trek long distances on campus because of high fare occasioned by fuel scarcity and non-availability of cash.
Some also find it difficult to attend lectures with empty stomach.”
Damilola Ogunlade, student, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, said: “After going from one bank to another, some of us now eat once or twice a day. Our feeding allowances are in the banks and we don’t have access to the cash.’’
Another student, Daniel Maduka: “Life on campus has been tough in the last four weeks. Some of our lecturers are affected. Others have abandoned their cars at home due lack of fuel while many go in search of the new naira notes. My feeding allowance is trapped in the bank and because of it I don’t eat regular every day.’’
For the tertiary institutions in Enugu State, the situation is becoming quite unbearable.
A female student, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus (UNEC), Chimamanda Nwachukwu, said: “The scarcity of the naira notes is affecting everything. To do registration, it requires money. If you go to PoS operators, either they tell you there is no cash or there are no new naira notes. And on the old naira notes, they are adding charges.
“To collect N1,000 old note, you pay N300. If you want to take N3,000, you have to pay N900 as charge. Students are worried about where to get money to do registration. If they don’t, they will not sit for examinations. In the process of looking for money, some will miss lectures.
“For our movement around, transport has started increasing. From N50, it increased to N80 and N100, within the campus. Nobody wants to collect old notes and they don’t accept transfer. If you go to PoS, they will tell you there is no cash. These days, people trek to and from destinations.”
Chiemezie Ezeugwu, student, Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), Agbani: “They told us to buy textbooks. The bookshops don’t accept the old notes. The new naira note is not available; you can hardly get it. It is affecting us in doing our assignments. That is how it is affecting us in our studies.
“To go into Enugu before, we spent N400 or N450. Now it has increased to about N700 due to the high cost of fuel. Around this area (Agbani) fuel is sold at N450 per litre. It is really affecting us and some students, since they cannot afford that, have to stay with friends that live around school for now.
“The banks and ATMs in the school are always overcrowded with just a few people getting a little cash at the end of every day. That also makes many miss their lectures.”
Emeka Oloto, student, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), said: “If you want to withdraw N1,000, it is N300 charge, N2,000 is N600 charge. Each thousand naira is like N300 charge. If you want to withdraw N5,000, you will be paying close to N1,500, that is in the PoS.
“If you go to banks here, even if you go by 3am to write your name, you’ll still be number two hundred and something. It is impossible to withdraw from ATM and even to go into the bank. I think is N2,000 that you can get from inside the bank.
“Everybody is making transfers, but the dues you have to pay, it’s not all transactions you can pay by transfer. You will be forced to go to PoS and pay those huge charges.
“It is only students that live very far from the school that still manage to enter shuttles. The majority of those living outside the university premises now trek due to the high cost of transportation occasioned by the fuel pump price increase.”
Emeka Oduigwe, student, Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), said: “We are really suffering here. We don’t have enough resources to swap the new naira notes or even make transactions with the PoS agents. Imagine the agents charge one N100 on each N1,000 withdrawn.’’