‘’Prof. Ellis added that the School is currently in no position to build any hall or hostel because of lack of funds.
He also revealed that the University has not engaged any private developer to build either halls or hostels because the demands of these private men are unattainable and absurd.’’
This section of Prince Appiah’s write up on myJCR.com stirred me to write up this piece.
I was saddened once again to read this statement from the Vice Chancellor concerning building of Halls and hostels on campus.
From the little history I know about KNUST, the current Hall 7 was the 7th Traditional Hall which the University decided to build to aid emerging problems of students’ accommodation under the leadership of the Late Prof. Kwasi Andam, his soul rest in peace.
As the Akan say ‘’Fofie anto Atta amma no andware abam’’, Prof Andam’s turn of office elapsed when the building had reached its third floor. It was then sold to the Senior Members (SMs) who are also owners of Brunei (GUSSS HOSTELS).
Per my investigations on the issue which stand to be corrected, they (SMs) could not complete the project with their own money but had to seek assistance from private developers to complete.
They then entered into a deal with them to defray the cost that arose in the completion of the project at installment.Moreover, they are now putting up more structures to house students at the Brunei through this same means. Is it a matter of satisfying their own pockets or they have the interest of students at heart?
So is it that the entire KNUST as an institution couldn’t finish a project a group of members within the school were able to do? Couldn’t the university adopt the same pragmatic measures these SMs adopted? Do the SMshave reputation than the University to secure funds for themselves in advance of the school? Are those people who initiated the idea for the SMs not part of the University’s council and if so, why not in the name of KNUST? Or the constitution of the nation or the school does not permit authorities to construct structures in the Universities? If so, then what happened to University of Ghana? If that’s the case, what mandated the late Prof. Andam to commence such project?
Two years ago session of ”Meet the VC” at the Great Hall, the response I received from this same question I asked the VC was to my dissatisfaction when the DOS, Dr. K. O. Daaku in his response to my question: ”Why is it that the University has not established further Halls to support the traditional ones built by the late Dr. Nkrumah to curb the hikes in hostel prices on campus and inadequacy of rooms?” said ”It is not the responsibility of EVERY VC to build a Hall or Hostel”.
I would have reiterated the same question this year if I had attended the latest edition of Students encounter with the VC.
Let’s look at how these GUSSS Hostels charge higher fees and turn to caution other private hostels to reduce their charges. As the Bible says: ‘‘If you cannot remove the prank on your eye, how do you remove the speck on the eye of your brother.”
KNUST is in accommodation crisis and for the VC to say we cannot build Halls and Hostels, I think is a great disappointment to us. Please stand up Prof. Ellis because your children are wailing in sorrows. Students pay exorbitant hostel fees and end up being robbed and rapped by robbers at gun point.
I do not think any of the Senior Members have their wards in these hostels whose students are robbed and rapped at gun point. What is so sad and terrifying than the Vice Chancellor saying: the University recorded one hundred armed robbery cases in the catchment area in 2013 with some innocent girls alleged to have been raped.
Have we ever thought of the implications of over-flooding our Halls with students? Especially the Annex rooms at the other Halls and Unity Halls’ tower. These edifices I believe were constructed to take a capacity of one person to a room but what is happening today? ‘’Perching’’ is on the increase and all these mounts pressure on the buildings.
So are we waiting till something happens before we realize the danger of what we are doing? Let’s all stand up and fight for the common good of KNUST.
Long live Ghana, long live KNUST, and Long live all Mmadwenmma.
