Foreign Students Contributing To Insecurity In Hostels

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Asante Akim Central, Hon. Kwame Anyimadu Antwi has stated that foreign students who gain admission into the country�s universities have contributed to the high level of insecurities on the various hostels on campuses.

He said often time, foreign students, after gaining admission introduce their culture onto the local campus and go about doing all manner of things that pose as a threat to security.

�Mr. Speaker, being a lecturer, I can say there is indeed danger in our university hostels. Foreign students come to our campus and introduce different cultures, such as occultism, possession of arms and a lot�.

He was contributing to a statement read by the MP for Afigya-Sekyere, Yeboah David Hennric East on the need to ensure students safety and security on private and public hostels at university campuses in Ghana.

Hon. Anyimadu Antwi said security on the various university campuses and private hostels would be achieved if the state takes up the construction of hostels, since there was always piece of lands on the university�s campus.

This, he stressed, would help improve the quality of students produced by the universities and also compel the foreign students to learn the nation�s culture and not vice versa.

His argument was supported by the MP for Amenfi Central, George Kofi Arthur who noted that hostels built by individuals do not have any rules and regulations that guide the occupants (students). He added that state owned hostels were not just interested in the money paid by students, hence �students do not live without any regulations�.

Earlier, the maker of the statement, Yeboah David Hennric said universities, especially the public ones, have not been able to meet up with the accommodation needs of their growing population of students, a situation he said, has resulted to high patronage of private hostels.

He, however, explained that most of these private hostels are located far away from the university campus, thereby posing security threats to students, since they often return late to their hostel after lectures.

�Unfortunately, currently in Ghana, very little attention is given to the security and safety of students living in these private hostels and the state�, Hon. David Hennric grieved.

He used the opportunity to call on the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service to take up the issue and restore security of students on either state or private hostels.

Source: The Chronicle