Due to inadequate accommodation on campus, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology( KNUST), like many other universities in the country, has majority of its continuing students living outside campus, specifically at Ayeduase, Kotei, Kentrikrono and Bomso.
Majority of this population reside in hostels at Ayeduase, which is barely a five-minute drive from the main campus. In recent times, the security of non-residential students of the KNUST has been lax.
Students have voiced their woes several times but to no avail, for the past couple of years.
Robbery cases this semester (first of the 2015/16 academic year) have been on the rise. It is just a little past the middle of the semester and there had been over a dozen robbery cases.
With one incident at a hostel at Kotei, it was reported that a couple of students suffered gunshot wounds. Personally, a course mate of mine had her hostel attacked by gun men, she was personally robbed at gun point during the attack in which she lost all her valuables.
These horrendous events have led to a number of questions about student safety. There seems to be no straight answers for the happenings. For the concerned parents, families, and the non-residential students community, there will be just questions and anger.
The whole situation has led to extreme fear and panic among the student body who are non-residential. This has really affected the study and social life of most of these students negatively.
This issue cannot be presented without making appeals to the bodies of interest.
I appeal to all students to take time to go through and take note of the security tips posted in every hostel and at vantage points on campus.
Hostel managers should have tight and reliable security in their hostels. These could include a reasonable number of security personnel and other electronic security installations in the hostels.
The SRC in conjunction with the university administration should extend the campus security patrol to the off-campus student residential areas.
Finally, since education is one of the priorities of government, I would appeal to the government to provide students living outside campus with constant security surveillance and evening security patrols.
My concerns are also with the frequent power outages at night at the student residences. It does not only worsen security but also hinder academic work.
Today we are students in the university, tomorrow we will be the people making decisions for this country, hence the need to create a sound and secure environment for our academic development.
