The Acting Rent Control Commissioner, Frederick Opoku, has described as “outrageous” the hostel fees being charged by some private hostels at the University of Ghana (UG) campus.
In an interview on TV3’s Ghana Tonight, Thursday, May 7, he noted that a visit to the Pent and Viking hostel at UG campus revealed that hostel operators take excessive fees from students.
He noted that at Viking hostel, one student in a room with air condition pays as much as GHC14,000 per semester.
“At university of Ghana, we visited Viking hostel and Pent hostel. At Viking hostel, they didn’t allow us in though they were there, they said they will not come out but according to the list they have on their board, one student in a room with air condition pays GHC10,000 per semester and we were also told that whatever we saw on the board was not the actual amount, they are rather taking GHC14, 000 thereabout,” he stated.
He continued that at Pent hostel, the situation was worse. While four students in one hostel pay GHC6,200 each for the Old Pent hostel, GHC8,800 is being taken from each person for four in a room at the new Pent hostel.
“When we went to the pent hostel, it was outrageous. We were told they have old and new Pent. At the old Pent, four students in one hostel pay GHC6,200 per person.
“At the new Pent, they were paying GHC8,800 for four in a room. And one in a room with air condition is paying GHC24, 000. It ranges to GHC39,000,” he added.
The visit by the Commissioner to some hostels at the University of Ghana follows a petition from the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) over exploitative pricing by hostel operators.
Mr. Opoku disclosed that Rent Control will hold a stakeholder engagement meeting next week with hostel operators over exploitative pricing.
The meeting is also expected to discuss the issue of compliance with rent law and concerns over outrageous hostel fees.
He emphasised that Rent Control does not intend to use forceful enforcement measures, but rather seek dialogue and cooperation with stakeholders.
“We are calling a meeting next week to have stakeholder engagement with all the hostel operators. We are not going to do any kind of Rambo style approach to do any enforcement.
“We are stakeholders. Our mission is to engage and to get them informed, if they are not aware and to ensure that they will do the right thing,” he stated.
