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Management of Tamale Technical University (TaTU) has engaged community stakeholders following concerns over a newly introduced policy restricting access to the institution’s inner roads. The policy bars motorbike riders without crash helmets from using the university’s internal routes and has generated reactions from residents, as the institution is located within a residential community.
The directive prompted an emergency meeting between university authorities, assembly members, traditional leaders, and other community representatives to discuss its implications and ensure peaceful coexistence.
Speaking at the engagement, the Assemblyman for the Wurishe Education Ridge Electoral Area, Abdulai Alhassan, said the university explained that the helmet requirement forms part of efforts to standardise the institution and promote safety on campus. He noted that while he supports the policy in principle, he advised management to exercise patience and intensify public education before fully enforcing it.
According to Mr. Alhassan, there is an alternative road intended for use by community members who are not permitted to use the university’s internal roads. However, he described the route as being in a deplorable condition, making it difficult for residents, especially motorbike riders and pedestrians, to use.
He therefore appealed to the government to urgently rehabilitate the alternative road to prevent community members from relying on the university’s internal routes, warning that failure to do so could create tension between the university and its host community. A visit to the road confirmed its poor state, with visible deterioration affecting smooth movement.
Mr. Alhassan also rejected allegations by university authorities that some community members misuse sirens when conveying the dead through the campus during burial rites. He questioned whether emergency ambulances, which also rely on sirens, would be treated differently, stressing that emergencies should be treated equally.
Despite the concerns raised, the Assemblyman appealed to residents to comply with the new policy in the interest of peace and harmonious coexistence, while urging the university to continue engaging stakeholders as the policy is rolled out. Community members also shared varied views on the matter during the engagement.
