Yesterday The Chronicle published a story about the Member of Parliament for Bosomtwe Constituency, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, proposing to build a hostel at the University of Mines and Technology (UMAT) for the exclusive benefit of students from his constituency, who pursue courses of study at the institution.
The MP, who is also the Minister of Education, intends to cut the sod for the proposed hostel at UMAT in the foreseeable future.
This is a very good initiative and one that must be applauded, since when the hostels are built it would go a long way to save the accommodation problems of his constituents on the campus.
The Chronicle is also happy that the initiative would be extended to all public universities in the country. Obviously this initiative will not only help students in his constituency, but also those outside his constituency will also benefit from this good deed.
As an Education Minister he has set example for others to follow, he has showed that education is really important to him and as such he will use his position to make an impact in the lives of others.
Education is a foundation for the development and progress of any society. It is a base upon which the whole building of human development stands. A lot of universities in the country are facing numerous challenges and one of these challenges is accommodation.
Scores of newly admitted students at the various universities in Ghana are forced to abandon their courses due to their inability to secure accommodation.
It seems like with each passing admission window, the accommodation crisis in our various universities gets worse. Year after year, the joy of gaining admission into the university has turned into a nightmare, as many freshmen come to the realisation that the accommodation problem is real.
Student enrollment has increased exponentially over the past years, unfortunately infrastructure development has not responded to the population growth, leading to the current accommodation situation.
The Chronicle wants our university managements to deal decisively with this accommodation problem. They must make every effort to partner private developers to construct new hostels to add to more accommodation capacity.
The University of Ghana for instance has made efforts in adding to the traditional halls of residence it started with since its establishment in 1948.
The construction of the four University of Ghana Enterprise Limited Hostels (the Hilla Limann Hall, the Alexander Adum Kwapong Hall, the Elizabeth Frances Sey Hall and the Jean Nelson Aka Hall) among others is laudable.
Most of the universities have vast lands and they must seek partnership with private developers to build more hostels to accommodate the increasing number of students.
It is in the light of the above that The Chronicle praises Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum on his initiative to build hostels at the various university campuses. If other individuals and companies follow his example it will help to stem the accommodation problem in the universities.
