In 2019, Badmus Soliu secured admission to study at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto. Ecstatic with the thought of being addressed as a Danfodite — a common lingo referring to every student in the varsity —he quickly rushed to pay his tuition fees, where an item for the school identity card was included at the sum of N1,000.
However, his dream to always move around with his ID card, as expected, still hangs on the balance. Badmus Soliu is now a 300-level student and despite paying N700 also for lanyard as contained in the 2020/2021 academic session’s tuition fee schedule, his hope of over two years is still a mirage.
The case of Badmus is similar to that of other 6,224 and 5,532 students matriculated by Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, for the 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 academic sessions respectively.
This reporter gathered that the admitted students for the two academic sessions are yet to be issued with the school ID cards, despite paying the sum of N1,000 slated for the cards and N700 for the lanyard.
The delay in the issuance of the ID cards has caused a sting to the students and robbed the fortune of some, as many told this reporter how they missed scholarships opportunities as a result.
Harassment from Immigration Officers
Each time Badmus was returning to school or going on a holiday from Sokoto to Kwara, immigration officers usually disturbed him, like every other road user, but introducing himself as undergraduate at Danfodiyo Varsity would only worsen the case.
“When I was returning to school after the 2020 ASUU strike, immigration officers stopped us at their checkpoint.
“They asked me who I am, and where I am heading to. I replied that I am a student, and I am going back to school. So, they asked me to provide my student ID card to serve as a proof that I am truly a Danfodiyo student but I was unable to provide it.
“Failure to provide the students’ ID card exposed me to assault and harassment by the Nigeria Immigration officers. In fact, I was detained for almost 1hour-30minutes. Later on, one of the officers asked for my National ID card in lieu of the school ID card which I did, this made them free me,” Badmus said.
Speaking with Mr. Daud Adelodun, a Nigerian Immigration Officer, emphasized on the importance of identity cards to students and individuals.
He explained that the national ID card differentiates Nigerians from refugees or non-Nigerian while the students’ ID card does the same between students and non-students.
“At our checking points, we used to detain any student traveling and failed to provide his or her students’ ID card. We observe that most of the kidnappers, bandits, armed rubbers are claiming to be students and to and fro in our country. So, we have stopped granting that as an excuse, the school ID card makes it easy for us to identify students of any university.”
More students narrate ordeal
A 300-level student from the Faculty of Social Sciences, Amos Abayomi expressed displeasure over the late issuance of the students’ ID cards.
Abayomi recounted that, “During the previous semester’s examination, I lost my confirmation letter because it is not as portable as the school ID card that fits into pocket size. Glory be to God that I was later able to find it.”
According to rules of the university on the conduct of examinations, a student must present the university identity card before entering into the hall.
As stated in page 69 of the Revised Students’ Handbook under the regulations governing conduct of examinations,”No students shall be allowed to enter the examination hall without the university identity card and examination card.”
Abayomi also noted that the school ID card will distinguish students from the outsiders on campus.
“I used to see some non-students [outsiders] sitting in lecture halls and wandering around the campus. Assuming the management provides and mandates ID cards for every student, it will be easy to distinguish this type of person from the students,”he said.
Abdulmalik Olanrewaju, a 200-level student of Fisheries and Aquaculture blamed the school management and the students’ union for not taking necessary efforts on the issue of ID card.
“It is appalling and wrong for a student in 200-level not to have an ID card. Can you imagine I am the only one in my family without a student ID card, my siblings in other universities do make fun and ridicule my school because of it,” he said.
Also, Aminat Balogun, a sophomore of Agricultural science, pleaded with the school management to take necessary steps on the issue of ID cards so that the students will be recognized at a go as bonafide members of the university community anywhere they found themselves.
I can’t say anything regarding ID cards now — DSA
The Dean of Students’ Affairs, Prof. Umar Aliyu, in an interview with this reporter, disclosed that the person who is in charge of the school ID card is not currently available.
“I cannot say anything right now regarding the issuance of the ID card, because the person who is responsible for it is currently not available,” he disclosed.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee for Students’ Union, Mohammed Shamshudeen Umar, explained that the union is currently making efforts towards the issuance of the ID card.
“We are making an effort with regard to that. We are optimistic that soon the issue will be rectified. Therefore we urge students of the university to bear with us.”
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