Students of the Keta Nursing and Midwifery Training College in the Keta Municipality are stranded as they suffer harassment from landlords and burglars as wells as sexual assaults while an almost completed hostel facility is under lock.
With a student population of about 563, the 11-year-old college cannot boast of a single students’ hostel as all the students are accommodated outside the campus.
Apart from that only three out the 12 inadequate permanent tutors have accommodation, with the rest having to travel several kilometres, some as far as Anloga on a daily basis to teach students.
A situation which is obstructing the smooth running of the College as the lives of student’s, particularly the female population, are in grave danger.
Student Harassments
DAILY GUIDE’s information indicates that the students suffer unreasonable rent increments from landlords and harassments whenever the students protest the charges. Some landlords are reported to have physically assaulted students for disagreeing with exorbitant rent charges.
Other students, particularly those who were unfortunate to settle in isolated homes due to the limited sources of accommodation in the area, suffer incessant theft of their properties and learning materials, like laptops, mobile phones among others whenever they were in school or travelled. Some female students also complained of continued sexual harassment from landlords and ‘area boys.’
Authorities Lament Students Abuse
When DAILY GUIDE contacted school authorities, they confirmed the situation and described it as a very worrying. Madam Katherine Adigblekou, Program Head of Midwifery at the College lamented that “the situation is a big challenge, especially our female students who are being harassed almost every day.”
She recounted a recent incident where a land lady bit a student on the hand, cases of sexual harassment and theft which have all been reported to the Police.
She therefore appealed to the government through the Keta Municipal Assembly, Regional Coordinating Council and the Ministry of Health, to as a matter of urgency pay the contractor and facilitate the swift handover of the hostel.
Government’s Response
The Volta Regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Letsa who visited the College recently during his regional tour commended the management for their hard work.
He assured that, his office will liaise with the Keta Municipal Assembly, Regional Health Directorate and the Ministry of Health to deal with the outstanding debt owed the contractor and get him back on site to finish up and hand over the facility.
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