LASUSTECH Students Decry Power Outage at Lambo Lasunwon Community During Exams, Call for Disco's Intervention

Habeeb Ibrahim

Students of Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH) residing off campus around First Gate, Lambo Lasunwon community, have voiced their frustrations over a prolonged power outage in their areas, which has severely impacted their ability to prepare for exams. 

The outage, which has lasted over 30 hours, has led to significant challenges in maintaining a conducive environment for studying.

In an interview with LASUSTECH Watch, Odeyemi Saidat Adeoba, a second-year student of Office and Information Management, described the extended outage as a major obstacle. “The situation is poor, and we have no alternative source of power, such as a generator, available to us,” she lamented. Saidat added that the lack of electricity had severely hindered her ability to focus on her studies and called on the management to engage with IKEDC and the electricity distribution companies (DisCos) to resolve the issue.

Akinwumi Rofiat Boluwatife, a Mass Communication student living near the first gate, also highlighted the difficulties caused by the outage. “I’m the type of person who reads in the middle of the night, and without power, it’s actually difficult to do that,” she said. 

Rofiat mentioned that the outage had disrupted her schedule, forcing her to spend valuable study time searching for water in the morning. She urged the school management to work with the DisCos to address the power supply issue.

Ogbonnaya Favour Chibuikem, another Mass Communication student residing near the first gate, echoed these sentiments. “I like reading at night, and because of the power outage, I was unable to prepare for my exams as planned,” Favour explained. Without alternative sources of power, he found the situation frustrating and called for a swift resolution by the DisCos.

Ojelabi Olamide, also a Mass Communication student, shared a similar experience, stating that the outage had severely affected her study routine. “All my torchlights are off, and there’s no generator available anywhere,” she said. Olamide added that studying by candlelight was not a viable option due to its dimness and safety concerns.

Kadiri Adeola, another Mass Communication student living near the first gate, described how the power outage has impacted her ability to study during the exam period. "It has affected me in a way that I can’t assimilate properly due to the heat and my low phone battery, which makes it difficult to read my course materials," she said. 

Adeola noted that there were no alternative lighting sources or generators available and that the outage had disrupted her focus and partially affected her exam performance. She urged the management to "please fix the cause of the electricity outage" and called for DisCos' intervention.

Adding to these concerns, Elvis Archibong, a Mass Communication student residing at the first gate in Oke Filling, noted that the power outage has led to a shortage of water in his apartment complex, making it difficult for him to get to school on time. 

"There are no alternative power supply options available," Elvis said, adding that while the outage slightly affected his focus, it did not significantly impact his exam performance. He called on the management to address the issue "with utmost urgency" and involve the DisCos.

Naomi Adetunji Abimbola, from the Marketing department, also voiced her concerns. She explained that the power outage has severely affected her ability to study for exams. "There has been no light since yesterday afternoon, and it has been affecting our reading for exams," Naomi said. 

She emphasized the discomfort caused by the heat and the inability to charge phones for use as a light source, pleading for immediate intervention by the DisCos.

In response to these growing concerns, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the LASUSTECH Student Consultative Assembly reportedly dismissed the issue. During an interview, he responded to students’ complaints by asking, “Should I be crying? Or are we the ones sharing light in Ikorodu?” His remarks have been seen as dismissive, leaving students feeling ignored and unsupported.

The students are collectively appealing to the LASUSTECH management to take immediate action by engaging with the relevant DisCos to ensure a stable power supply during the exam period, which is crucial for their academic success.