I was scandalised; people live in cubicles, not rooms – Rent Commissioner on condition of student hostels

Rent Commissioner Frederick Opoku expressed deep concern over the living conditions in private student hostels located on university campuses in Ghana. This issue came to light after the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) filed a petition regarding substandard accommodation conditions. Opoku decided to personally inspect the facilities to ascertain the legitimacy of the reported concerns.

Upon conducting the inspections, Opoku was appalled by the state of the accommodations, describing them as shocking and failing to meet the standards expected for student housing. Some facilities exhibited serious ventilation problems and overall poor conditions. Moreover, Opoku questioned whether these establishments were legally licensed and under proper monitoring.

He described the spaces as cubicles rather than true hostels and expressed shock at seeing students crammed into tightly divided rooms, likening the conditions to prison-like environments.

The Rent Commissioner's findings extended across nearly all the universities, revealing consistent worrying conditions. He believes these revelations warrant a comprehensive review of the housing situation for students on university campuses. Opoku deemed the current conditions unacceptable and cautioned against the continuation of poor accommodation standards, even if privately invested.

He emphasized that such conditions are unacceptable and urged the government to take action against such practices under the guise of private investment.