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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
The Ghana Highway Authority has announced a temporary traffic management arrangement on sections of the Accra Tema Motorway and the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange as construction work continues on the motorway expansion project.
In a public announcement issued on March 5, the Authority explained that the arrangement forms part of ongoing construction works under the Accra Tema Motorway and Extension Projects.
It noted that the traffic adjustment is required to allow contractors carry out T beam launching works for the expansion of the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange Bridge on the N1 highway.
Under the arrangement, lanes on the N4 northbound carriageway, which serves traffic moving from Accra to Madina, will be temporarily closed.
Meanwhile, the southbound carriageway from Madina to Accra, which currently has four lanes, will be reconfigured into two lanes in each direction to accommodate traffic moving both ways.
The Authority indicated that the temporary traffic changes will take effect from Monday, March 9, 2026 and are expected to last for four months.
According to the statement, the lane reduction is necessary to create a safe working space for construction personnel and to ensure the safety of motorists using the road.
The Authority therefore advised drivers to be cautious, obey traffic signs and cooperate with traffic management officials throughout the construction period.
It encouraged members of the public who require further information to contact its Public Affairs Division through WhatsApp on 0551622244.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The National Chief Imam, Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, has congratulated the Government and people of Ghana as the country marks its 69th Independence Day, urging citizens to renew their commitment to national unity and democratic values.
In a statement to commemorate the celebration on March 6, he encouraged Ghanaians to use the occasion to strengthen their dedication to constitutional democracy, economic progress, interfaith harmony and peaceful coexistence.
He observed that the world was currently facing several challenges, including the rise of authoritarian governments and increasing military conflicts among nations.
According to him, humanity was experiencing turbulent times, with genocidal attitudes and violent extremism becoming more widespread in different parts of the world.
The Chief Imam explained that such global developments should inspire Ghanaians to come together and deepen their commitment to nation building while embracing unity in diversity.
He noted that although colonialism left a painful mark on the country’s history, Ghanaians could take comfort in their collective determination to overcome colonial subjugation and build a free nation.
Reflecting on the country’s independence struggle, he indicated that Ghanaians now remembered the victory for liberty rather than the hardship endured during the fight against tyranny.
The National Chief Imam offered prayers for divine guidance and blessings for the President, John Dramani Mahama, the Government and the people of Ghana.
By: Jacob Aggrey
