In September 2019, the leadership of the Commonwealth Hall petitioned the government and the management of the university to solve the school’s growing accommodation crisis.
In their petition, the Junior Common Room (JCR) leadership of the exclusive male hall said: "We are members of Commonwealth Hall…and are ready to follow this petition to the latter."
The students have asked the recipients of their petition to respond within five days, lest they take further action.
Outlining solutions to the crisis, the petition asked the government to build more Halls of residence for students as more than 60% have to deal with their own housing issues.
Addressing the press at the premises of the hall, the President of the hall, Prince Lumor, said even though the government responded to the petition, they are expecting it to give concrete assurances to their concerns.
He said the University management in an attempt to solve the perennial accommodation deficit in the school is trying to implement a policy where only level 100 students shall be given accommodation.
"We the members of the Commonwealth Hall Junior Common Room will be forced to go on an intellectual walk to drum home our concerns which otherwise should be the concerns of government and other relevant stakeholders. The passion to serve is accompanied by the desire to resolve issues and we shall implore every means to attain a positive result," he stated.
Such policy, Lumor said cannot be a very good option and has urged the school management to discard such an idea at its "embryonic stage".
He added: "This proposal is intended to address the accommodation crisis on campus, we want to believe that this is just a mere rumour and does not contain any iota of truth but if it does then we humbly appeal that it should be aborted at its embryonic stage. This is because we do not understand why management will be tempted to think that when there are accommodation issues on campus, the best alternative solution is to displace the current students who are bonafide stakeholders of the university and make provision for those who are yet to become members of the University. We want to strongly suggest that the University of Ghana management discard such a thought from the very conception stage."
UG accommodation crisis
Many students offered admission to pursue various courses of study at the University of Ghana were stranded and went through a torrid time to find accommodation on the campus or in nearby hostels.
The situation got students frustrated, most of them teenagers, as they have to leave their search for accommodation on campus to participate in orientation for freshers, leaving their parents and guardians to take on the task of moving around the various hostels in search of a solution.
The UG has offered admission to close to 11,000 students, but only 1,970-bed spaces are available in both the residential halls and the private hostels linked with the university, creating a situation where those who are unable to secure residential accommodation are left to find alternatives.