By Amoako Kwame
The Acting Rent Commissioner of the Rent Control Department, Fredrick Opoku, has condemned the accommodation charges at Ghana Hostels Limited (Pentagon Hostel), describing the fees imposed by SSNIT as excessive, exploitative, and unacceptable.
Speaking on Hit FM, Fredrick Opoku raised concerns about the increasing cost of student accommodation at the SSNIT-affiliated Ghana Hostels Limited (Pentagon Hostel).
He said it was worrying that an institution tasked with managing workers’ pensions would charge what he described as excessively high accommodation fees to students and their parents.
Fredrick Opoku questioned the justification for the price disparities between the “new” and “old” blocks of Ghana Hostels Limited (Pentagon Hostel). He noted that rooms in the older block, shared by four students, reportedly cost between GH¢6,000 and GH¢6,400 per semester, while accommodation in the newer block was considerably more expensive.
He also expressed concern over reports that some single rooms equipped with air conditioners were being rented for between GH¢20,000 and GH¢30,000 per semester.
Questioning the basis for such charges, he asked whether students were being pushed into desperate situations simply to afford accommodation.
Fredrick Opoku described the situation as worrying and cautioned that the rising cost of accommodation around tertiary institutions could place significant pressure on students and their families.
His comments add to growing public concern about the affordability of student housing in Ghana, especially around major universities where hostel fees continue to increase sharply.
