Parliament urges Legon to engage community in security plans
Parliament has said much as the University of Ghana, Legon, like every academic institution, ought to maintain security and provide a congenial atmosphere to promote teaching and learning, it must recognise that it needs to engage people in the community within which it operates.
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It said in pursuance of a conducive atmosphere, the university must recognise that it operated within a community which, invariably, becomes a key stakeholder in matters that affected its development.
It must, therefore, as much as possible, engage stakeholders in a manner that carries the community along the vision and aspirations of the institution.
The views of Parliament were contained in a report released by the Joint Parliamentary Select Committees on Education and Roads and Transport last Friday.
The report was unanimously adopted by the plenary.
Background
In February this year, the authorities of the University of Ghana, Legon, started charging tolls for the use of its roads.
The move generated an uproar which culminated in the demolition of some of its tollbooths by the national security apparatus.
The university authorities, obviously not perturbed, blocked access to some of its roads and instituted a sticker policy.
They argued that they had secured loans to rehabilitate the roads and, therefore, needed to recoup the money in order to repay the banks.
At the 28th sitting of the First Meeting of Parliament on March 18, 2014, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Asawase, Alhaji Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, by leave of the House, drew attention to challenges relating to access to the University of Ghana campus by the general public.
The first Deputy Speaker, Mr Ebo Barton-Odro, who presided over affairs on the said date, having regard to the issues raised and comments made thereon, referred the matter to the Joint Committee on Education and Roads and Transport to liaise with the relevant stakeholders to find an amicable solution to the problem.
Committee's report
The report said the university authorities indicated that increased vehicular traffic, coupled with lack of major maintenance over the years, resulted in the deterioration of the university's roads.
It added that the authorities also explained that repeated attempts to source funding from the government to reconstruct the roads proved futile.
Hence, the institution took a credit facility of GH¢8 million for the purpose.
It said the university authorities explained that the restricted access of motorists to the campus was an old policy that had been in existence and complied with.
The report urged the government to absorb the loan secured by the university as promised and advised the university to reduce the cost of stickers for parents whose children attended the university's basic school.
"The committee is of the view that the GH¢100 proposed by the Concerned Parents is reasonable and, therefore, calls on the university authorities to consider the offer made by the parents," it said.