KNUST builds police post for Kotei community

The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has handed over a GH¢45,000.00 police post to the Kotei District Police Command under the Manhyia Divisional Police Command to help curb criminal activities in the area.

Four brand new Yamaha motorbikes (GH¢1,250.00 each) and a laptop computer to facilitate swift response to crimes and data-keeping respectively were also donated to the command.

Professor William Otoo Ellis, Vice-Chancellor of the University said, that was the second of the fulfilled missions of the university, apart from that of Ayeduase, to decentralize security service within the campus as well as complement police efforts.

With the expansion of academic programmes, students’ numbers have increased, thereby making a greater part of them and some staff to live outside the campus, he explained, adding that, the situation had transformed most of its surrounding communities into full-fledged university villages, resulting in extra strain on the communities with respect to security.

There was the need to provide safe environment for staff and students for teaching, research and entrepreneurship training in Science and Technology for the industrial socio-economic development of the world as a whole.

He thanked the security agencies, including the police, Fire Service, BNI and Immigration for their continuous support to the university community.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Nathan Kofi Boakye, the Regional Police Commander called on the traditional authourities in the area to allot a piece of land to build a police station befitting the town, since the current one is just a post.

He urged them to form a community watch committee to beef-up security in the area since violent crimes especially on the students were too serious and feared soon they would descend on the indigents.

DCOP Boakye advised hostel operators to fence their structures as well as get security posts to protect their patrons.

Contributions should be made by hostel owners to cater for the members of the neighbourhood watch as a form of motivation.

The Regional Commander suggested that hostel owners who refused to comply with those terms should be made to halt their businesses.

Nana Kofi Adu, the Kotei Regent, thanked KNUST and the police for the initiative and pledged the support of the chiefs’ and the people of providing accommodation to the police personnel deployed to the area.