The accommodation crisis at the University of Ghana (UG) gets worse yearly with no end in sight as thousands of admitted students fight like hell to secure comfortable residence for their academic work.
The most obvious expressions worn by scores of frustrated students are those of outright despair and distress as their quest to study in the nation’s premier university lands them in painful regret.
As usual, many freshers are left stranded with their parents after failing to secure accommodation ahead of the commencement of academic activities.
The school is yet to announce the exact figure but out of the over 15,000 students admitted this year, only about 3,000 could get room allocations.
In the 2019/2020 academic year, 18,212 students (made up of 15,167 undergrads and 3,045 graduate students) gained admission. Out of the figure, just about 10-15% could secure accommodation slots.
There are not enough beds, UG management!! Why do you admit more than you can accommodate? Is it the case that rooms are hoarded for the popular ‘protocol’ stuff? I monitored, and interestingly, all available beds finished in less than 30 minutes after the residential application portals were opened.
I am ‘trying’ to restrain myself from touching the network issues and the site jams that characterise almost all the online registration processes – talk about accommodation, course registration, assignment submission and even online registration for graduation.
Are students not tired of the promises?
The former Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ebenezer Oduro Owusu promised in 2019 that UG’s Land Lease Committee was negotiating with private bodies to expand housing options for students.
“Active negotiations are ongoing over an assignment of six acres of UG land for hostel development. Meanwhile, approval for negotiation with a couple of other companies has recently been given for hostel development on a further 12-acre UG land,” he said during the 2019/2020 matriculation ceremony.
The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) wished to embark on a 2,500-bed capacity hostel project but that has not been materialised. Well, as for the SRC, it has its own issues because for two years, it has not been able to hold any proper election or an election without court injunctions and writs.
Leadership crisis wreaking havoc even the students’ front! The same people we are fighting for their welfare…mercy!!
Oh, I just remembered the 4,000-bed state-of-the-art annex for the Commonwealth Hall promised by the Old Vandals Association (OVA). This was a project to be undertaken in partnership with KPMM Civils Limited.
The same project was slapped with various issues that caused its stalemate. Not even a foundation block has been laid for its construction. Meanwhile, phase one was set to be fully commissioned within a year but as of today, ‘ayɛ Boakye bi din.’
“Hopefully, this project will take off this year with a possible completion of the first phase within one year after commencement, Prof. Oduro Owusu mentioned this at the matriculation. Even at the sod-cutting ceremony held behind the Commonwealth Hall Chapel, he made similar promises.
I fear to say that the University has not made enough effort to deal decisively with the challenge. It has not been able to undertake significant investments in construction. Okay, I should not forget that there are issues of judgment debts that the institution faces sometimes.
Prospective students and their parents must brace up for accommodation frustrations with the intake of Free SHS graduates.