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Cohabitation high among university students – Prof. Yaa Oduro
Prof. Yaa Oduro
A study conducted by the University of Cape Coast (UCC) has found a high and growing incidence of cohabitation among university students living in private hostels.
Cohabitation is to live together and have a sexual relationship without being married.
The situation is attributed to the extreme freedom in the private hostels enjoyed by the students, unlike the traditional university halls where some control mechanisms have been instituted.
In a few cases, the students put their resources together to rent the space for economic reasons.
While the majority of students thought cohabitation was bad, a few perceived it as good, fun and normal.
The study, which was also conducted in some adjoining communities found that the practice was contributing highly to teenage pregnancy and child marriage.
Professor Georgina Yaa Oduro, the Head of the Sociology and Anthropology Department at UCC, shared the findings at a workshop on ending child marriage and Gender-based violence for some traditional council registrars from eight regional houses of chiefs and the National House of Chiefs.
The training, organised by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, sought to deepen the understanding of the registrars on child marriage, gender-based violence and other harmful practices to help them function effectively.
“If you are on campus and in the halls, you have the hall masters, tutors, and the hall council to control you. In the all-female halls, for example, guys cannot visit the halls after 10:00 p.m,” Prof. Oduro said.
“But in the private hostels, comparatively, you have the freedom to do whatever you want.” Prof. Oduro said the partners performed all the roles of married couples including sex and domestic chores such as cooking, washing and giving out money.
Some of the students, particularly the young women who had to juggle academic work and domestic chores for their partners, sometimes missed lectures or attended late, affecting their studies, she noted.
Like in the communities, she observed that cohabitation among students was also characterised by gender-based violence such as forced sex, abortions and quarrels often due to the freedom in such relationships
She narrated how a 22-year-old male student of UCC died by suicide this year following a misunderstanding with his partner he was cohabiting with. Many of those relationships unfortunately ended after school, she noted.
The professor noted that very little attention had been given to the issue and called for concerted efforts by stakeholders, including parents, lecturers, school authorities, and traditional and religious leaders, to mitigate it.
Prof. Oduro observed with worry the abuse of emergency contraceptives by young girls and cautioned against the same.
“It is my understanding that such pills are supposed to be taken once in six months or so. But for some children today, it’s their everyday pill,” she stated with concern. –GNA
In a world where fathers are increasingly consumed by work and the pursuit of financial security, Bishop Michael Quartey, the Regional Overseer of the Perez Chapel International, has urged fathers to prioritise spending quality time with their children.
This, he said makes them develop trust, love and sense of security in building confident responsible adults.
Bishop Michael Quartey made this known in an interview with The Spectator ahead of the Father’s Day celebration tomorrow.
He noted that while many fathers are providing the financial needs of their families, children also require emotional support, guidance and quality time from their fathers.
“A lot of children are engaged in a lot of negative things just because of the absence of their fathers and it is about time we sit up.”
Bishop Quartey explained that fatherhood goes beyond meeting financial obligations and involves being physically and emotionally present in the lives of their children.
“Fathers serve as role models whose actions and decisions often influence the values and attitudes of their children” he disclosed.
He also elaborated that regular communication, participation in school activities and involvement in children’s daily life could significantly strengthen family bonds and contribute to the overall well –being of the children.
He added that though the modern day fathers are doing so well, we need to continue to change the narrative by putting in extra effort in the upbringing of our children.
“Being a father is a great joy and it is very necessary for fathers to be celebrated because they go through a lot,” he indicated.
Mr Quartey used the opportunity to encourage all fathers to continue doing their best and pray for their children as well.
By Linda Abrefi Wadie
A new cultural, trade, and diplomatic platform celebrating Ghana-Norway ties was launched on Saturday, June 13, at Palms by Eagles Hotel, Accra.
Dubbed the ‘Akwaaba Nsuo & Velkommen Fjord Durbar 2026’, the event draws on the symbolism of Ghana’s rivers, -Nsuo, and Norway’s fjords to highlight water as a shared cultural, economic, and environmental identity.
The three-day event is scheduled for July 31 – August 2, 2026 in Oslo, Norway. Activities will include a trade exhibition, durbar of chiefs, and B2B networking sessions.
Speaking at the launch, CEO of the Durbar, Kofi Mulan, said Ghana’s rivers like the Volta, Pra, and Ankobra have long sustained livelihoods through fishing, transport, and spirituality.
“Similarly, Norway’s fjords represent the cornerstone of its maritime heritage, global leadership in ocean industries, and environmental stewardship,” Mr Mulan added.
“These parallel relationships with water form the philosophical and thematic spine of the entire event. The Akwaaba Nsuo & Velkommen Fjord Durbar 2026 is therefore framed as a convergence of heritage and innovation,” he said.
Organisers say participants will benefit from Global visibility and cultural diplomacy in Europe, stronger ties with Norway, and increased market access for exports like fashion, crafts, agribusiness, and processed goods under AfCFTA frameworks on the Ghana side.
On the Norway side, they noted access to Norwegian expertise in maritime technology, aquaculture, and renewable energy, plus opportunities in fisheries, offshore energy, and sustainability projects.
The Durbar is positioned as a high-level exchange platform to deepen trade and diplomatic relations between Ghana and Norway.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
