University not safe anymore

Letters

THE University of Goroka campus is fast becoming a high risk location for staff and students to live in.
Parents and relatives of students attending UOG should advise your children to exercise proper judgment and be safety conscious while going around campus, especially at nights.
The campus is surrounded by local tribes and the tribe folks freely access the campus grounds at will.
The campus security is comprised of locals who have demonstrated outright incompetency when confronted with security concerns.
The security allows villagers, especially young intoxicated men to roam the campus assaulting students.
The guards themselves have often resorted to excessive force on vulnerable students and staff while under the influence of alcohol.
In February, the building and estate division manager was physically assaulted by guards at the main university entrance when he intervened to save a student from being physically assaulted.
This staff member now carries a permanent deep scar on his face.
Around the same time, three students from Chimbu were beaten when they returned to campus after the Covid-19 induced campus curfew times.
During the early hours of July 25, the security coordinator and several of his guards allegedly invaded the staff residence of a female academic who is the head of a division, verbally and physically assaulting her in full view of her five helpless children.
The children were allegedly threatened and cursed using unimaginable expletives.
Then on July 31, another senior academic and head of department was allegedly assaulted in full view of students at the front gate of the University.
Many students have been allegedly wounded by the guards as well but their cases were swept under the carpet.
What’s baffling is the lack of interest from concerned authorities to address this serious security issues being perpetrated by a group of illiterate hooligans in security uniforms who capitalise on their tribal base and support to rain down unnecessary terror on campus residents instead of providing genuine security for them.
The security services on campus need to be outsourced to one of the local registered security firms in order to reverse the dire state of security.

Concerned staff

3 comments

  • I am one of the final year content students at university of Goroka testify to the public that, This statement is very true. So, inorder to fair and free movement in and around the campus, the university council must restate the School SRC ,I strongly belives that will slove all the problems and fear in this university.

  • Shows a weak Governing body. UOG is full of nepotism from TMT, down to student admin, student services and the lecturing and or tutoring staffs. So many plesmen meri are working with no proper qualifications and experiences. Their work output is pathetic an below standards. Too many delays in processing students transcripts, etc. Worst is the student admin. Most tutors of UOG are still doing their Master and Honors Degrees and still have not graduated yet UOG engages them to facilitate tutoring which is not good and questions its integrity and reputation. Some have been doing their Masters and Honors for more than 5 years. Best for parents to advice your kids to apply to PAU, DWU or St Peters Channel Secondary Teachers College. Those wanting to do your Master or Honors, should seriously consider these facts and apply else perhaps DWU leading the way.

  • Victims need to report assaults to the Police and follow up on their complaints to be addressed.
    The Security Management also need to be held responsible for all this security issues.
    Victims need to take the first step by laying complaints at the Police Station

Comments are closed.