Frehsers' Dress Habits Deplored

By William Yaw Owusu

Tuesday, 19 December 2006
THE bad dressing habits of the new batch of students at the Central University College (CUC) was the main point of the messages of the President as well as the Chancellor of the University at CUC’s ninth matriculation ceremony held in Accra on Friday.

Professor V. P. Y. Gadzekpo, the president, noted that complaints of indecent dressing and bad behaviour of some of the students have become frequent.

The 1,939 new students, 1,052 of whom are females, constitute the largest intake since the establishment of the University nine years ago.

Prof. Gadzekpo said "We are sorry to say that in terms of dressing and behaviour, this year’s group seems to be the worst of all since I took office in 2004."

He said the young ladies wear skimpy and short blouses, spaghetti, straps or bare backs, very short skirts and very tight trousers. With the young men it has become the fashion for them to wear ear rings and braid their hair, he added.

"Some even grow dreadlocks and wear trousers with holes in them and some dirty looking jeans. These are all not considered appropriate dressing for this university," he warned.

Prof. Gadzekpo said that the CUC was collaborating with the West African Examination Council to authenticate the result slips of all those admitted into the university.

He warned that anybody found to have gained admission with forged certificate or results would not be spared.

He commended the Ghana Education Trust Fund for supporting the CUC with educational material including 30 computers all worth ¢750 million and said, "we want to let the government know that we are very much appreciative of this gesture"

Rev. Dr. Mensah A. Otabil, the Chancellor, advised the matriculants not to seek ‘cheap popularity’ through indecent dressing, saying "you are not here for a dressing competition. You should dress intelligently."

He urged them to make "responsible and good choices", adding "the consequences of every choice you make will pursue you forever".

CUC set up with the aim of providing "Christian based tertiary education for the expansion of God’s Kingdom," started as a training institute for short-term pastoral training in 1988 by the International Central Gospel Church. It has now grown to become one of the leading private tertiary institutions in the country.