Acting Rent Control Commissioner Fredrick Opoku says the Rent Control Department will seek advice from the Hon. Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine the Attorney General over the University of Ghana’s refusal to recognise its supervisory authority over the university’s hostels.
Speaking to Nana Aba Anamoah on Morning Starr on Starr FM, Mr Opoku said the department was preparing to consult the Attorney General on the matter, including the possibility of seeking an injunction against the university.
The dispute follows a proposed 26 percent rent increase by the University of Ghana, which prompted the Rent Control Department to write to the institution.
According to Mr Opoku, the university responded to the department’s letter a few days ago, stating that Rent Control did not supervise its operations and that it would therefore not comply with the department’s position.
He explained that the department had initially questioned whether it had the authority to intervene because the university had registered as a private entity.
Mr Opoku, however, argued that the university’s establishment by an Act of Parliament does not exempt it from complying with the laws of the Republic, including the Rent Act.
He maintained that the university’s governing board, Vice-Chancellor and other relevant authorities must respect the law, insisting that no institution should consider itself above the country’s legal framework.
“There will not be any selective justice, and Legon is not bigger than the laws of the Republic,” he said.
He described the university’s response as a bad signal to the country, particularly at a time when efforts are being made to strengthen the enforcement of rent regulations.
He warned that the department would not tolerate unlawful acts under his watch, regardless of the status of the institutions involved.
“I have indicated that under my watch, Rent Control will not countenance any unlawful acts,” Mr Opoku stated.
He further criticised the university’s response, saying he did not expect an institution of its standing to disregard the laws of the country.
“The letter they wrote to me is very, very, very wrong,” he said.
Mr Opoku insisted that the same legal standards applied to other private entities must also apply to the university, warning that its institutional status should not be used as a basis to disregard the law.
He reiterated that the department would seek the Attorney General’s advice before proceeding with the planned legal action to address the dispute over its authority and the proposed rent increase.
Story By Pamela Quayson
