Federal Poly Oko : Students Celebrate As Accommodation Fee Crashes , Landlords Lament

Students of Federal Polytechnic Oko have expressed joy over the sudden reduction of apartment fees in Oko community.
They made this known recently, while speaking with the Dawn Newspaper Correspondent in an interview.

The house rents crash  resulted from   the low admission offered to students in the 2019/2020 academic session which is a clear departure from what was obtained in previous   years.

It was observed that lodge fee in Oko for  self contained apartment which previously  was between 100,000 and 150,000 naira is now 65,000 and 100,000 naira depending on the type of building, whearas single room apart which before ranged  between  45,000 to 70,000 naira is now between 25,000 and  50,000.

Based on the investigations gathered by our Correspondent, Oko town has no major sources of income except renting of apartments to students who were offered admission into the institution, while their land are not fertile for farm production.
Expressing happiness over the development, a student of Mass Communication Department HND2, Miss Ngozi Okorie, revealed that God has rembered the students who are having difficulties  paying their rents due to paucity of funds.

According to her, “I have not seen a town who uses students to make money except Oko. Some of our parents are poor and cannot afford much money to such high rent. Some students are three or four in a room just because of money.

Oko landlords and ladies should delve into another business and not only to become rich through students”, She said.
For Master Chidi Okafor of Marketing Department ND2 “I want to commend Jamb and Oko poly at large for identifing the predicaments of students, considering other fees they pay in school outside lodge fee”.

According to Sunday Anyawu of Computer Engineering Department HND1 ” if Oko indigenes can move into other businesses, their income  will increase instead of exploiting  students.
Speaking with some Landlords in the Community , including  Messrs Nnayelugo Okoye, Kelechi Osondu and  Isaac Ifeakor who expressed anger  over empty rooms and low apartment fees they received, complained that it has affected their livelihood. According to them it is their major sources of income. 

“How do we train our children in school, how do we sustain ourselves for the next one year, If government can offer admission again, they should provide us with  alternatives”. They wailed.