The Rent Commissioner, Frederick Opoku, has described conditions in some private student accommodation facilities as “appalling” and “shocking”, following inspections triggered by a petition from the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS).

🇬🇭 Here's What Happened

According to him, the inspections revealed overcrowded rooms, poor ventilation and facilities that, in his view, do not meet the basic description of a hostel.

Mr Opoku said he decided to inspect the facilities after receiving the petition to establish whether the concerns raised by NUGS reflected the actual conditions on the ground.

He said he approached the exercise without taking sides, describing himself as “more or less like a referee”.

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“So when I received the petition, I advised myself to move to the ground and see if what the complaint they gave me was a reflection of what is happening,” he said on Joy News’ PM Express on Wednesday.

But what he found during the inspections left him deeply concerned about the conditions in which students are living.

“Evans, your guess may be as good as mine. When I just started the viewing on the grounds, it was shocking, honestly, and I was wondering what the issue was,” he said.

Mr Opoku said ventilation was among the major problems identified during the inspections.

“And you realise that the conditions and ventilation in the rooms were a challenge,” he said.

The Rent Commissioner also questioned whether some of the facilities had been properly licensed or adequately monitored.

📰 Source: Joy Online Ghana