By Juliet Aguiar DUGBARTEY, Essikadu
The University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) campus at Essikadu in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis has been furnished with a modern 540-bed hostel facility to ease accommodation challenges.
The facility was constructed by JUSTMOH Hostels Limited under a Build, Own, Operate and Maintain (BOOM) arrangement with the university; and forms part of a broader infrastructure transformation at the Essikadu Campus.
The Vice-Chancellor of UMaT, Prof. Richard Kwasi Amankwah, at the commissioning of the hostel, said the project was a strategic response to the rapid growth of the university’s student population, particularly at the School of Railway and Infrastructure Development at Essikadu.
He noted that the school, established in 2017 with an initial enrolment of 241 students in 2021, now accommodates about 3,300 students, with projections indicating an increase to 3,500 by the end of the current admission period.
“With this level of growth, it became imperative to engage credible private sector partners to support the university’s development agenda,” he stated.
The Vice Chancellor credited the transformation of the Essikadu Campus largely to the intervention of Dr. Justice Amoh, Chief Executive Officer of JUSTMOH Hostels Limited, who has been a key development partner and contributed significantly to improve both academic and residential infrastructure.
According to the Vice-Chancellor, JUSTMOH Construction has undertaken extensive road and drainage works on campus, improving accessibility and transforming what was once a difficult terrain into a fully motorable environment.
He said the improved road network has attracted transport operators who previously avoided the area.
Prof. Amankwah explained that the 540-bed hostel project, which would ordinarily take between five and ten years to complete, was delivered in less than 24 months after JUSTMOH Construction emerged as the lowest bidder in a competitive procurement process approved by the Public Procurement Authority.
“The hostel provides safe, decent and comfortable accommodation close to lecture halls, which has improved punctuality, reduced stress on students and enhanced overall academic efficiency,” he said.
Beyond accommodation, the Vice-Chancellor appealed for urgent support to operationalise the nearby Kojokrom Health Centre, citing the absence of a functional health facility within the immediate campus vicinity. He said UMaT is prepared to provide medical equipment and employ a medical officer if the Ghana Health Service facilitates the activation of the centre.
He also called for support to complete a stalled STEM school near the campus, proposing its development into a UMaT STEM Academy to strengthen skills-based education and innovation in the community.
Dr. Justice Amoh, Chief Executive Officer of JUSTMOH Hostels Limited, said the hostel project was designed to provide students with a safe, supportive and dignified living environment that promotes academic excellence and personal development.
He announced that Block ‘A’ of the JUSTMOH Hostels has been named after Nana Kobina Nkestia V, Omanhene of the Essikadu Traditional Area, in recognition of his contribution to traditional leadership and national development.
He added that provision has been made for another block to be named in honour of Mr. Pobee Biney, a prominent figure in the history of Sekondi-Takoradi.
According to him, each hostel block accommodates over 500 students and is equipped with facilities for religious worship, recreation, healthcare, training and counselling, while also creating internship and employment opportunities for students through the mother company, JUSTMOH Construction Limited.
The Western Regional Minister, Joseph Nelson, in an address read for him praised, JUSTMOH Construction Limited for complementing government efforts in tertiary education infrastructure.
He pointed out that private sector participation is critical to addressing accommodation deficits in public universities and urged other corporate institutions to emulate JUSTMOH’s example.
Former Minister of Railway Development and immediate past Member of Parliament for Essikado, Joe Ghartey, also commended JUSTMOH for the laudable initiative.
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