Prof. Rita Akosua Dickson, the Vice Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), has revealed that the university has taken measures to tighten security in and around the University to protect the lives of students and property.
She said Management of KNUST, in addressing the security concerns on campus, had installed Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras at vantage areas to monitor activities and movement on campus.
At a meeting with the Tema Branch of the KNUST Alumni held in Tema Community 6, the Vice Chancellor disclosed that she had instructed the over 400 companies providing hostel accommodation for the over 89,000 student population of the University to offer security at the facilities.
That notwithstanding, “the University Management and the Governing Board with the support of the University Chancellor, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, and the Inspector General of Police, Dr. Akuffo Dampare, had put up a new Police Station on the University Campus,” she added.
Prof. Akosua Dickson revealed that all the key stakeholders, including the student body, parents, the Student Representative Council, and the leadership of the various halls on campus, had been involved in the management and maintenance of campus security.
“We have also improved some of our internal roads and lightened up the entire campus with streetlights to enhance vehicular and human movements.”
She said though there had been a few security concerns on the KNUST campus in the past, the Vice Chancellor insisted that the atmosphere on campus was now more friendly and secure than ever.
Mr Alhassan Mahama Sani, the Tema Branch President of the KNUST Alumni, encouraged the formation of more Alumni Branches in every region and institution and also encouraged the old students to consider what they could do to support the University in diverse ways.
The KNUST Global Alumni President, Dr. Kwaku Agbesi, congratulated the Vice Chancellor on her appointment and outlined some initiatives undertaken by the Alumni including the establishment of a Scholarship Scheme to support needy students.
He pledged the commitment of the Alumni in addressing the huge accommodation challenges facing many students of the university and applauded the Tema Chapter for its continuous support to the KNUST Global Association
The Chairman of the meeting, Richard AY Anamoo, also an Alumni and a past Director-General of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, appealed to about 500,000 old students to contribute just 400 a month for five months to enable the University to build four more hostels to accommodate at least 10,000 students.
The meeting was attended by old students who completed between 1960 and 2020 and was chaired by Mr. Richard A. Y. Anamoo, former Director General of Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority.