Students at the University of Professional Studies, (UPSA) Accra are raising concerns for their safety due to the absence of functional streetlights near the university.
This lack of visibility on the stretch in front of the school has left many vulnerable, particularly in light of the reported increase in robberies along the darkened streets.
Speaking to Citi News, the Executive Secretary of the Bureau of Public Safety, Dr. Nana Yaw Akwada, charged authorities in charge of the streetlights, to attend to the situation.
“How come the place has become a favourite spot for criminals to operate? Somebody may be sleeping on the job. I think that the situation of security along or within or around university campuses has not been in the picture only recently. It is an ongoing concern. I believe at this moment we should be focusing on the duty bearers.
“What responsibilities are they championing? For instance, the safety and security of students, rest solely in the bosom of the authorities. The university community is not small, they should be able to reach out and work with the police department to ensure their environments are safe,” Dr. Akwada said.
Some students at the university said the situation serves as a hurdle to their safety.
“We don’t have lights, when we are walking, we are much concentrated on our phones because the riders have been taking our phones,” said a student of UPSA.
“I’ve heard people’s phones being snatched and people actually getting attacked on the road. I think it’s a very serious threat to both our lives and properties. And something should really be done about it. If not, it can lead to serious chaos,” another student added.
Some drivers who ply the road also shared their experiences on the difficulties the lack of lights, poses to them.
“We find it extremely difficult to see when driving. In the case where someone crosses the road, you may not even see, and this can lead to you knocking down the person. The students are always getting stabbed and having their phones snatched on the main road. We have even caught a thief before. The lack of functional streetlights is also a cause,” said a driver.
“Just last week, a robbery incident was witnessed. The robber snatched a phone belonging to a pedestrian. Robbery incidents usually occur on that stretch. The road is very dark, and we the drivers face difficulty with visibility. A student died last year after he was stabbed on the same stretch. It is due to the darkness,” added another driver.
Food vendors and shop owners, who operate along the road, added their voices to the situation, stressing the dangers the inoperative streetlights pose to their safety and that of their businesses.
They concluded the use of flashlights and torchlights to aid in visibility in their work, comes with its own challenges such as the malfunctioning of their torchlights and batteries.
They emphasised the need for political figures aspiring to be voted into power to come to have a look at the situation and provide the needed solutions.
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