How FUT Daura VC bars hostel cooking, block food vendors to allegedly boost wife’s canteen monopoly as students face electricity challenges

“Our VC prohibits cooking on campus and refuses to allow private food vendors to operate in the school — a situation that forces both students and staff to patronize a canteen said to belong to his wife, despite its ridiculous prices and poor quality,” lamented a student, Idris Muhammad, in a distressed tone.

Idris’s frustration mirrors the growing anger among students at the Federal University of Transportation, Daura, Katsina State, who accuse the institution’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Umar Adam Katsayel, of using his position to promote his wife’s private business — a move they say has subjected both students and staff to hunger, exploitation, and poor welfare.

According to findings by SolaceBase, the university management banned all private food vendors from entering the campus while also prohibiting students from cooking in their hostels. This decision, several sources claim, has created a monopoly for a single canteen allegedly owned by the Vice Chancellor’s wife.

The issue came to light after students staged a peaceful protest demanding urgent reforms in welfare services, including feeding, electricity supply, and general living conditions. Many described the situation not just as an inconvenience but as a daily struggle for survival.

A visit by SolaceBase to the university — even during the vacation period — revealed that students who remained around Daura spoke bitterly about how hunger and poor food services had become part of their daily reality. They accused the management of ignoring their suffering while enforcing rules that favour one business interest.

Students decry hunger, skyrocketing food prices

According to many students, the university prohibits cooking on campus and does not allow private food vendors, leaving them with only one option — the school’s main canteen.

A 200-level student of the Department of Transport and Port Management, identified as Kamal Sani (not his real name), said the situation has become unbearable.

“Sometimes, you go to the canteen and find out that there’s no food. Either it’s finished, or they haven’t cooked at all. During weekends, it’s even worse. If you want to get food, you’ll have to go all the way to Daura town and spend about N1,000 on transport just to eat. Hunger is disturbing us here on campus,” he said.

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Similarly, Salihu Umar from the Department of Aviation and Railway Management lamented that the high cost of food has forced many students to skip meals.

“Considering the economic situation, it’s really hard for us, especially those from less privileged families. You can’t expect us to buy breakfast, lunch, and dinner at N800 each.

Even that N800 food is small and doesn’t satisfy anyone. If we can cook in the hostel, things would be much easier for us and even for our parents,” he added.

Staff suffer alongside students

It’s not only students who are affected. Staff members also complain that the canteen’s pricing is beyond their means.

A staff member in the university’s Academic Planning Office, Sulaiman Haruna (not his real name), said the high food cost is draining their salaries.

“It’s not just the students; even staff are victims. The cheapest food in the canteen is N800, and it’s not even enough to satisfy one person. If you rely on that every day, your salary won’t last till the end of the month. Some of us only survive because a few colleagues secretly bring in home-cooked food and sell such to us at cheaper prices,” he said.

He added that the university management is aware of the problem but has yet to take any action.

“The Vice Chancellor doesn’t allow any external food vendors on campus. You must buy from the canteen. But we are appealing to the management to open up and allow other vendors to come in so that staff and students can get relief,” he pleaded.

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Power challenges add to students’ struggles

Beyond the feeding crisis, students also face power supply challenges that hinder their academic activities.

Sadik Muhammad Tukur, another student, explained that the lack of electricity and working sockets in hostels has made life more difficult.

“We rely on solar and generators, but the sockets in our hostels have been disconnected. We usually go to our classrooms to charge our phones and laptops.

“You have to guard your device while it charges for two to three hours, or it could get stolen. It happened to me once — I fell asleep, and my phone was gone,” he narrated.

He added that most students depend on e-copies of materials for studying due to the high cost of printing, making access to electricity even more essential.

“We read on our phones because it’s cheaper than printing handouts. But when there’s no place to charge, studying becomes frustrating. We need functional sockets and regular electricity in our hostels,” Sadik appealed.

Allegations of poor food services baseless – University responds

However, speaking to SolaceBase, the Vice-Chancellor dismissed claims about food services and student welfare as unfounded.

He clarified that students are prohibited from cooking in hostels for safety and hygiene reasons, but the university provides a central canteen capable of serving over 300 students and 100 staff.

“The restriction on cooking is for safety and hygiene. Our students will not cook if they are interested in staying on campus. However, we have provided a canteen where food is subsidized.

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The university determines the quality, quantity, and price to ensure hygienic and affordable meals for everyone,” the VC further added.

The canteen operates under a public-private partnership — the university holds 50 percent of the shares, private operators 30 percent, and host community members 20 percent — to ensure transparency, community participation, and sustainability.

Addressing the issues, he clarified, “The food service is run by a registered company with verified shareholders. It is not managed by my wife.”

Professor Katsayel noted that meals are subsidized because the university bears most operational costs, including cleaning, utilities, and furniture. Regarding reports of food shortages, he advised students, “If a student goes to the restaurant and finds no food, they should complain.

“It might be a timing issue — breakfast ends by 10 a.m. and lunch begins by 12 p.m. — or it could be a genuine shortage. Either way, we take feedback seriously and act on it.”

Regarding electricity concerns, he confirmed that all hostels and classrooms are equipped with sockets and inverters.

“No one would build hostels or classrooms without sockets. If any sockets are disconnected, it’s usually for safety reasons or due to vandalism,” he said, adding that repairs are carried out promptly during academic breaks.

He reaffirmed the university’s commitment to student welfare, “Student welfare remains central to FUT Daura. We have well-furnished dormitories with private toilets and baths, and ongoing construction is supported by TETFUND and other investors to meet growing demand.

“If students have problems, they have the right to complain — it’s through their feedback that we improve. We are here to protect and serve them.”