Accommodation Crisis Hits Winneba Varsity

A visit to the three Winneba campuses of the University of Education of Winneba (UEW) last Sunday, by the Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, Hon. Kwadwo Baah, revealed that 60% out of the 6,000 students have no accommodation on campus.

The 60% non-residential students have had to rent rooms outside the university campuses for sums ranging from between a whooping ? 2 million to ? 2.5 million.

These were disclosed by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Jophus Anamua Mensah, when he conducted the Minister round an extension work being done to the main library at the south campus. The extension works are being funded under the GETFUND and Ali and Sons Limited, a construction firm, is undertaking the project.

Hon. Baah Wiredu had earlier inspected the construction of a two-storey 69 office complex for Lecturers of the University, which is also being funded by the GETFUND. The Project, which is located at the North campus of the University, is being undertaken by Ali and Sons Limited and is scheduled to be completed by the end of September this year.

At the Central campus the Minister again inspected work on the partitioning of the existing dormitory known as the Amu Hall into cubicles for use by the Students of the Music Department.

Conducting the Minister round the projects on the Central campus which also included the renovation and extension of the Assembly hall complex and the cafeteria, The Head of the Music Department, Dr. Cosmas Mireku, told the Minister that the department needed a lot of facilities to function properly as a music training outfit of the university.

The projects are also being funded under the GETFUND, the Minister was told. Hon. Baah Wiredu advised that another entrance be created to enable students have an easy exit in times of disaster and emergency.

The Minister also inspected offices for Lecturers, computer and piano laboratories all on the central campus.

Mr. Baah Wiredu took time off his schedule to also visit the Winneba Sports College to acquaint himself with the activities there and the environment within which the college operates to guide him in policy formulation.

During the visit Mr. Sammy Ashie, Director of the Sports College, conducted the Minister round the premises.

Some of the places visited were the 60 rooms that accommodate sportsmen when on camping, the executive block built to accommodate the national senior team and the construction of a new football field.

Mr. Ashie told the Minister that the college had awarded on contract to ISFAD Ventures, the painting, replacement of louver blades, window and door frames, sanitary and interior decoration, for which an amount of ?270 million has been budgeted.

Mr. Baah Wiredu advised the college authorities to consider fencing the boundaries of the college to forestall encroachment.