Students of the Esiama Community Nursing Training College in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region are living in a state of fear from intruders who terrorise both students and teachers of the school at night due to the poor security situation on their campus.
Information gathered by Weekend Finder indicates that some students have become victims of rape and other forms of attacks from intruders who take advantage of the incessant light out at night to terrorise the students.
Some students who spoke to Weekend Finder on condition of anonymity said although the school had billed them to purchase a power plant to provide light each time they are off the national grid, the plant is never ever put to use.
Madam Charity Kwamla, principal of the school, explained that although the students were indeed billed for the generator, they are unable to put it on when the lights are off due to lack of money to fuel the plant.
As a result, the students say they are afraid to even attend nature’s call at night for fear of being raped by intruders who lurk around such places in wait for their prey.
“There is no light on our toilet so you can’t visit the place alone at night; you either have to go in groups. Most of us, because of the fear of being attacked, do it in polythene and throw it into nearby bush.”
Again, students complain of snatching of mobile phones and handbags, as well as robbery of their valuables at their dormitories on a daily basis.
Madam Charity Kwamla attributed the problem to unaddressed concerns which the institution has long forwarded to the Ellembelle District Security Council.
According to her, the school complained to the area council of the Ellembelle District Assembly, stating emphatically these security challenges, but their concerns, for over a year, have not been addressed.
She explained, "The security challenges facing the school could have been addressed if the school had been walled to prevent unwarranted intrusion by outsiders".
Madam Kwamla noted that due to the growing phenomenon of illegal mining activities in the Nzema area, the Esiama community has become attractive to desperate unemployed youth who are engaged in illegal mining activities. "Their presence has inundated the locality with all kinds of people," she lamented.
As head of the school for the past eight years, she said the security challenges only compounded recently as a result of the population explosion in the area, orchestrated by this economic circumstances.
For a solution to address the problem, she disclosed that last week, the Area Council of the assembly visited the school to present three electric poles to authorities. These polls, she said, would be erected at vantage points and connected to power to provide the needed security lights for purposes of visibility.
She also denied accusations of extortion levelled against her by students of the school for the purchase of a generator to be used during power outages.
According to her, the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) of the school initiated the idea (billing each student 120 Ghana cedis) for the purchase of the generator during the intensity of the country's power challenges, to assist teaching and learning.
The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Ellembelle, Daniel K. Eshun, confirmed the insecurity in the school to Weekend Finder. As chairman of the District Security Council (DISEC), he explained that the problem had persisted for years, therefore attracting the attention of the District Security Council (DISEC), which has not been sleeping over the matter.
He disclosed that some attempts have been made by the council to provide security through constant police patrol of the area.
The Member of Parliament for Ellembelle, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, who is also a member of the DISEC, on his part, assured of collaborating effectively with the assembly to deal with the problem.
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