The Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Legon, Mrs Mary Chinery-Hesse, has given assurance of management of the university to provide adequate accommodation to students and the reduction of sexual harassment crimes on campus.
Mrs Chinery-Hesse made this assertion during the first session of the 2018/19 graduation ceremony of the College of Humanities in Accra, yesterday.
She noted that, with accommodation, alumni of the university especially “the Old Vandals” had provided hostel facilities to cater to the number of students in the university and hoped that other alumni replicate their donation through the provision of resources and facilities especially through the Endowment Fund.
Mrs Chinery-Hesse commended the faculty staff for their commitment to eradication of the menace of sexual harassment on the university grounds and for the strategies and policies made available to students and staff to curb this menace.
“I wish to encourage all students to take advantage of the structures put in place, and I assure you that no one will suffer any form of victimisation as a result of reporting,” she added.
Mrs Chinery-Hesse in conclusion urged the graduating students to ensure they made adequate use of the knowledge gained during their studies and as you step out into the world make sure to use the wisdom gained to develop our Ghana and Africa.
Professor Ebenezer Oduro Owusu, Vice-Chancellor of the University, acknowledged the distress in providing accommodation for the students of the university, added that, “The University of Ghana’s Land Lease Committee is in negotiations with a number of private bodies to expand housing options on campus”.
He added that the Student Representative Council of the University was also in the process of embarking on a 2500-bed capacity hostel project.
Professor Owusu added that the Centre for Gender Studies and Advocacy (CEGENSA) was tasked to lead in developing a training programme to educate members of the UG community on what constitutes harassment and how to respond to it either as a perpetrator or a victim.
Speaking at the graduation, he advised the over 700 graduates to continue amassing knowledge to aid them in making significant changes in their lives and society.
“As you move on to the next stage of your lives, remember to uphold the values of the University ‘Respect, Commitment, Integrity, and Loyalty’”.
The students were of the 2018/19 class having graduated with Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) undergraduate courses under the College of Humanities.
BY FREDERICK GADESE-MENSAH
