Legon To Dismiss 'Perching' Students� Vice Chancellor

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Professor Ernest Aryeetey, has warned that any student caught illegally staying in a room with a qualified student, popularly known as 'perching' would be dismissed. �We have introduced new sanctions applicable to all: you perch and we catch you, we dismiss you. You lose your studentship. You have a choice of whether you want to be a resident or a non-resident. If you choose to be non-resident and you come through the back door and use a facility which others are paying for, you are cheating them and we have every right to sanction you and we are going to police that� �We are making it mandatory that anybody entering any student facility has to show an ID card, it is an old rule which we are going to implement in a much more effective manner� Prof Aryeetey declared when addressing a myriad of issues on Joy FM on Thursday June 16, 2011. The Legon VC disclosed that plans are far advanced to provide more accommodation for the students, although there are currently enough rooms for every student who wants to be resident on campus. An amount of Gh�2.8 million earmarked for the provision of accommodation and adequate infrastructure for the nation�s oldest university. The issue of providing accommodation in the country�s tertiary institutions has been an age old debate which continues to rage on although several reforms have been made to education in general. Some private individuals and institutions have provided accommodation for students using some university lands but concerns have been raised about the huge amounts charged for two four-month semesters. Students in the traditional halls of residence on the university are currently charged Gh�200, a figure arrived at in consultation with the students, according to the Vice Chancellor. Students who prefer the new and much more comfortable accommodation, some of which were provided by private institutions in partnership with the University would have to part with Gh�360, down from an initial Gh�400 proposed. �There is already enough room to provide accommodation for every student who wants to study at the University of Ghana and who wants to live on campus. These new hostels are going to take 8000 students and there is room for even more bed spaces so the whole idea is to create an environment for everyone who wants to be on campus to be accommodated. �If you do not want to, it is a choice� the VC asserted. �We are however mindful of the fact that some students cannot afford genuinely,� Prof Aryeetey continued. "That is why we have a student�s financial aid office and I have said to all the students, prove to me that you cannot afford it and I am willing to give you aid. "Currently we have about 120 students who have proven that they cannot afford and we have provided aid for them. Saying you cannot afford is not enough, you have to prove�. By: Martin Asiedu-Dartey/Citifmonline.com/Ghana