Rain destroys books in UI bookshop

BOOKS, computers, printer, and other valuable office equipment were destroyed at the University of Ibadan bookshop, on Monday morning following the heavy rain on Sunday night within the university environment.

Early Monday morning, the staff of the bookshop were shocked as they discovered that some sections of the bookshop roofs had caved in following a high volume of water leaking from the concrete roof of the bookshop. Almost every section of the building were flooded with many valuable books and stationery in water.

This was said to have been caused by the pattern of the bookshop’s rooftop which seems unable to hold water anymore, thereby releasing water through the inner roof of the bookshop.

Tribune Online learnt that some pieces of the white PVC ceiling which were soaked in water fell off while those hanging lost their grip on the ceiling.

The water, in the process, affected a high number of books and other materials meant for sale.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abel Idowu Olayinka, who visited the bookshop in the company of the University’s Bursar, on Monday morning lamented the situation, describing the loss as colossal.

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A private business outfit within the Bookshop, Idea Konsult was also said to have recorded losses in no small measures.

In an interview, the Director of Publication, Mr Tunji Oladejo said the cost of damaged properties could be put at about N11.5m.

According to Oladejo: “It was on Sunday that rain wreaked havoc on the university bookshop, which is the first in Nigeria. It has been there for a long time.

“In my discussion with the manager of the bookshop, he informed me that the way the roof was constructed actually caved in, so it was in that process that water finds its way into the main hall of the bookshop. A lot of books and equipment were also damaged.”

Oladejo added that “in terms of naira and kobo; the loss could be put at around N11.5million. The books that were destroyed could be said to be in the region of about N10m while the repair could be around N1.5million.”