Closed circuit cameras replace security men at Berekum College of Education

Due to the lack of security personnel at Berekum College of Education, authorities have been forced to employ the use of closed circuit cameras to address rampant theft in the school.

The Principal of the College, Prince Yeboah Marfo told DAILY GUIDE that there is no financial clearance from government to engage security personnel to protect lives and properties.

The college is under siege from thieves who are stealing the school’s equipment, including electrical cables, air conditioners, television sets and other materials from lecturers bungalows, he said.

He said several appeals to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning to give financial clearance for the college to recruit staff to replace those who resigned or died three years ago have been ignored.

He explained that the college lacks security men to go round the college to check activities of miscreants who come to campus to steal cables connecting the school’s library, girls’ dormitory and the computer labs.

He said a week ago, thieves broke into the college’s computer lab and made away with monitors and other computer accessories, forcing the college to devise new ways to check theft on campus.

“Because of this, we are embarking on a project to install more closed circuit television cameras at vantage places and corners of the school to monitor activities on campus. However, this is being done at a great cost to the school.

He said the school would use its internally generated funds and part of GETFUND allocation to the school to embark on the installation of the CCTV cameras.

The principal also appealed to government to give financial clearance to the school to allow them recruit staff to augment the staff strength of the college.

Mr. Marfo revealed that a two–storey staff bungalow building being financed by the GETFUND and started in 2010 had been abandoned by the contractor because of the lack of funds.

The contract, he said, has since been abrogated and will soon be re-awarded to another contractor to provide accommodation to staff of the college.

The college, which was established in 1953, now has about 120 teaching and non-teaching staff, with students’ population of about 1,080.