EBOLA SCARE: Discrimination Creeping Into Tertiary Students In Ghana

International students at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) have expressed worry over what they say is growing discrimination against some people in the university community.

Some Ghanaian and foreign students had already arrived on campus to re-sit their referred examination papers before authorities announced an indefinite postponement of the start of the new academic year due to the Ebola scare.

Following the announcement some foreigners, mostly Nigerians, say their Ghanaian colleagues have been shunning them for fear they carry the Ebola virus.

During the exams, a Ghanaian didn't want to sit by me because she claimed I could have the virus”, one of them told me.

Another stated,” the discrimination has already started even at this early stages. This is too much.”

Though school is still officially on recess, the students fear the situation could create a barrier between them and their Ghanaian counterparts.

Presently, some students, including newly-admitted ones, from Nigeria and other Ebola -stricken countries are already on campus.

According to them, no information reached them regarding the strike by university teachers.

Last Tuesday, Deputy Minister In-charge of Tertiary Education, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, hinted measures are being put in place for thorough screening of foreign students, especially, from Ebola- stricken Nigeria, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The Ebola scare has created global fear and panic, after the deadly virus killed over 1,000 people in the last few months.

Ghana has so far been Ebola- free and, according to Mr. Ablakwa, “we don't want our sector to be the sector that introduces this (Ebola) into our country.”

According to him, re-opening of all tertiary institutions in the country would be postponed as the inter-ministerial taskforce make arrangements for the necessary screening mechanisms and health readiness process.

Though to avoid the epidemic crisis, the students however say the manner Ghana is handling the situation is creating some level of discrimination.

According to them, they underwent screening on arrival at the Kotoka International Airport, adding if they carried the virus health officials would have detected it.

They think for this reason the suspension of the re-opening is unnecessary.