The Futility and Utility of ID Cards in Halls of Residence

 

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If humans were uniform in appearance and we all had the same type of hair, skin color, accent and way of life, the world would be nothing but a monotonous plain beset by mysteries. Thankfully, the apparition of the environment assures us of roughly over ten million colors, an evidence of the creator's love for variety. It will then be an anomaly for humans, who are supposedly at the pinnacle of existence, to  misreflect this variety in shape, size, and color.

Further evidence of creation's diversity is in the existence of continents, countries, states, tribes, and minority groups. With over 8 billion people worldwide, these spatial divisions are necessary for identification and distinction. In smaller settings, such as tertiary institutions like the University of Ibadan, there's a need for institutional identification, distinct from national identification methods. This explains why ID cards are issued to new students upon resumption to verify their studentship. However, within smaller units of UI, such as faculties, departments, halls of residence, and student organizations, a further need arises to identify who belongs and who doesn't.

 

Likewise, Halls of Residence in UI issue ID cards to residents upon bed space allocation, serving both security and administrative purposes over the course of the school's history. However, the effectiveness of these IDs has significantly diminished in the last three years.

At the wake of a new session, halls of residence enforce strict ID card checks, particularly due to the influx of new students who need to develop the habit of carrying around their ID cards to gain entry into the hall. But, as the academic year progresses and the second semester flickers afar, this strictness gradually reduces. During this time, squatters and intruders gain unauthorized access to the halls and residents' belongings get stolen.

 

In a random sampling of students from the halls of residence, varying ID card practices were revealed across halls. It was gathered that Queen Elizabeth II Hall and Obafemi Awolowo Hall consistently request residents' ID cards at entry points due to security and administrative concerns. This isn't surprising, given the occasional reports of theft, robbery, and security breaches in these halls. In contrast, Queen Idia Hall has a more relaxed approach, with ID checks being less stringent, reportedly due to the friendly nature of its porters. Statistically, female halls of residence ensure at least 50% compliance with ID checks.

In rude variance, the male halls of residence make little or no use of their ID cards. In a conversation with a resident of Bello Hall, he made a joke about returning his card for checkout to the hall management the same way he was given, not tattered, not torn, barely touched, kept in the depths of his shelf. The source however noted that, in certain circumstances, a person may be required to tender their ID card if they desired to make use of the hall's reading room, although only on rare occasions. These testimonies represent more of the futility in the use of ID cards in male halls of residence. 

 

Likewise, a resident of Kenneth Mellamby Hall who simply identified as an “adoptive Zikite” confirmed the suspicions of this futility. According to him, anyone could simply waltz into the premises and assume residence with little or no confrontation. He revealed that he had been resident in Zik hall since his first year, despite being allocated to Mellanby and now in his third year, he has developed a strong affinity for the ideals of Zikism and would live there until graduation. This practice may be argued to be inspired by the ideals of a free society but they tend towards  harmful and unintended consequences which  compromises security.

 

Early in 2024, Queen Elizabeth II Hall experienced a surge in thefts, with laptops, mobile phones, and personal accessories stolen. To combat the issue and prevent further incidents, the hall implemented stricter ID checks and temporarily suspended visitations. During the course of these measures, it was discovered that the perpetrators were not residents of the hall. Instead, male and female intruders who were only allowed access to the premises because they posed as attendees of a church service, clients of the hall's hairstylists, or customers of the cafeteria. These individuals were able to enter the hall without ID cards, simply by providing a plausible reason to the porters. Now, this puts the effectiveness of ID cards into question. On the contrary, some residents have been denied entry due to lack of ID, often because they'd lost theirs and weren't willing to replace it. This issue ultimately compelled them to obtain a new ID, ensuring all residents had a valid card. If theft can occur in a hall with strict ID checks, it's likely even more prevalent in male halls of residence where entry is less restricted and visitors are often not questioned. The lack of curfews in some hostels which allows students to come and go at any time further aggravates security concerns on campus.

 

While the futility of ID cards seems to override its utility, these utilities cannot be phased out of the discourse. A number of Uites without the school id cards have credited their Hall ID cards as a lifesaver when identification was required. For some, it is useful during GES examinations and for some others, it comes in handy during registration and clearance of various sorts. Perhaps the ID card isn't as futile as perceived; initially intended for hall use, it unexpectedly becomes valuable for other purposes beyond the residence halls.

 

To the halls’ management, the use of ID cards should be properly enforced, especially in male halls of residence. Strict ID card enforcement can particularly enhance security in the halls. Also, implementing a standard curfew across all hostels, with strict adherence, would assist in curbing night-crawling and also instill discipline in students. The utility of hall ID cards rests on the value each hall assigns to them. Without proper emphasis, they'll gradually lose relevance and fall out of use.