Professor Eric Bruce- Amartey Junior, the Dean of Students Affairs, Takoradi Technical University, has called for a collaborative effort with relevant stakeholders in addressing the prevailing challenges faced by students who occupied various private hostels at the tertiary level.
He mentioned that the amount hostel owners charged sometimes did not correspond to the facilities; access to portable water, toilets and other necessities that aided comfort.
A standardized and conducive hostel accommodation with all the required facilities was essential for students’ comfort ability”, he noted.
He made the call when his office was engaged by the Western Regional Rent Control Department, to properly understand the prevailing issues on private hostel rental which formed part of the Department’s efforts to regulate the rental housing sector in the Region.
Professor Amartey explained that a lot of factors contributed to problems faced by private hostellers compared to those who occupied the university’s hostels.
He noted that those at the university’s hostels were at an advantage as most of the basic facilities were available on campus especially on odd hours.
Professor Amartey noted that most private hotels owners were not conforming with the rental laws, especially with the tenancy agreement policy which was very essential before any accommodation was given out.
“We had an incident where our students were ejected from their hostels by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), as a result of the owner not redeeming some taxes he owed “, he lamented.
The Dean of Students also shared the ordeal of some students who fell victims to sexual harassment by male private hotel owners and how it was affecting them negatively.
He mentioned that in managing such situations, the Students Representative Council’s (SRC) constitution was amended to bring back the Private Hostel’s Coordinator, to oversee all challenges faced by students in the various private hostels and served as a liaison between the Dean and the students.
Professor Amartey also explained that some private hostels were blacklisted due to accommodation deficits, yet students did occupy such hostels since they were the ones available and at a cheaper cost.
“Students go in for such hostels out of desperation and the need to find a place to lay their heads”, he said.
He commended the Western Regional Rent Department, for their efforts in addressing the rental housing sector in the Region through various community and institutional engagements.
Mr Courage Cornelius Sonu, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Western Regional Rent Control Department, assured the university’s Dean of the Department’s commitment in addressing hostel rental concerns in the University.
He also noted that his office would collaborate with the Ghana Tourism Authority, to see to the licensing of the private hotels together with other relevant stakeholders to come up with a comprehensive approach and policy frameworks that would address those prevailing issues in private hotels.
FDA issues alert over cannabis-laced alcoholic beverages on market
19052025
The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has warned the public against consuming two alcoholic beverages found to contain cannabis.
A statement issued by the FDA on May 18, 2025, identified Kings Orange Flavoured Liqueur and Jupiter 1990 as unregistered drinks containing marijuana extracts.
“Kings Orange Flavoured Liqueur and Jupiter 1990 are suspected to have been secretly made and mixed with marijuana. They are therefore unsafe for consumption,” the statement said.
The drinks are believed to be illegally produced by Famude Catering Service in the Ashanti Region.
The FDA stated that Kings Orange Flavoured Liqueur was originally registered in 2022 but, during routine checks in July 2023, was found to contain traces of marijuana.
Following this, the FDA shut down the Famude Catering Services facility, revoked its licence, and referred the matter to the Suntreso District Police for investigation and possible prosecution.
Since then, the Authority, in collaboration with the Drug Law Enforcement Unit (DLEU) of the Ghana Police Service and the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), has monitored the situation to prevent further violations.
In April 2025, the FDA received intelligence that Kings Orange Flavoured Liqueur was still being sold in Koforidua.
“Investigations led the team to a new unlicensed site,” the statement added.
On April 30, 2025, a joint team from FDA, NACOC, and DLEU raided an illegal site at Jachie Abidjan Nkwanta, discovering bags and parcels of dried marijuana, labels of Kings Orange Flavoured Liqueur, and another unregistered drink, Jupiter 1990.
Samples of both products tested positive for marijuana extract. Seized items were handed over to the DLEU of the Central Police Command in Kumasi for further investigations.
The FDA urged retailers and wholesalers to stop selling these drinks and return all stock to the nearest FDA office.
It also advised consumers not to buy or drink these products.
“Consumption of such unsafe alcoholic drinks could seriously harm your health, including causing permanent damage to organs like the liver and kidneys,” the statement warned.