The Educated, But Are We Responsible? Examining The Culture Of Negligence, Wastefulness And Security In Ghana’s Tertiary Institutions

There is a troubling contradiction within our tertiary institutions. While considerable investment goes into academic excellence and producing graduates for national development, personal responsibility, resource conservation, and security consciousness appear to receive inadequate practical attention.

Consider a familiar scene: a lecturer concludes a class, leaving fans and lights operating. A student exits without switching off appliances. An office is vacated with the air conditioner running. Taps remain open, while some offices are left unlocked, exposing equipment, confidential documents, and personal belongings to unauthorised access.

These are not simply acts of forgetfulness. When repeated, they reveal a deeper problem: declining responsibility and limited appreciation of the consequences of everyday actions.

When Negligence Becomes a Security Threat

From a security perspective, the consequences extend beyond wasted electricity and water.

Unattended appliances, faulty installations, and overloaded circuits can contribute to fires, threatening lives, infrastructure, and institutional assets. Unnecessary consumption also creates avoidable financial burdens, particularly for publicly funded universities.

Unlocked offices containing computers, examination materials, student records, or confidential documents present opportunities for theft, unauthorised access, and information breaches.

The question is not whether an incident will occur every time an appliance is left running or an office unsecured. It is why we continue creating preventable opportunities for harm.

Security management means identifying vulnerabilities and reducing risks before incidents occur.

Beyond Academic Excellence: What Are We Teaching?

Perhaps the most disturbing issue is what this behaviour reveals about education and character formation.

What are students learning beyond their academic disciplines? Are we producing graduates who can interpret complex theories, conduct research, and earn impressive qualifications, yet struggle with basic responsibility in shared spaces?

Education should be reflected not only in certificates and grades, but also in discipline, integrity, accountability, and responsible conduct: even when nobody is watching.

Leaving an empty classroom with appliances operating may seem insignificant, but it reflects an attitude towards shared responsibility. If responsibility is discussed in lectures but neglected in daily conduct, a contradiction exists between what is taught and what is practised.

When Staff Become Part of the Problem

It would be unfair to place the entire burden on students. Some lecturers, administrators, and other professionals engage in similar practices, making the situation more troubling.

Students learn from observation as well as textbooks. They notice how staff treat institutional property and respond to rules. When those expected to provide leadership disregard elementary safety practices, the institutional message becomes confused.

We cannot demand discipline from students while excusing similar negligence among staff. Professional seniority should bring greater accountability, not immunity.

From Awareness to Accountability

Security is not exclusively the responsibility of security personnel. Officers may patrol buildings, monitor access, and respond to incidents, but they cannot eliminate risks continually created by occupants.

Responsibility must be collective. Institutions should establish simple closing protocols: switch off unnecessary appliances, close taps, secure windows, and lock offices. Routine inspections, visible reminders, periodic sensitisation, and fair accountability should reinforce these expectations.

Student orientation and staff development should include fire prevention, resource conservation, physical security, and professional responsibility. Where feasible, occupancy sensors and automatic lighting controls can also reduce avoidable consumption.

The goal must be more than repeated warnings; it must be a lasting culture of responsibility.

A Final Reflection

This challenge is bigger than electricity, water, or unlocked offices. It concerns the institutional culture we are building and the citizens we are preparing.

If a student cannot care for a classroom shared by hundreds, what assurance is there that the same individual will responsibly manage public resources or national responsibilities?

If a lecturer cannot demonstrate basic security consciousness, what lesson does that communicate about professionalism and accountability?

These questions demand honest institutional introspection.

A university should not only graduate individuals who know more; it should help produce individuals who do better.

Institutional security depends not only on gates, guards, and surveillance, but also on the character and conduct of those who occupy the institution.

Perhaps we must ask not only how well our institutions educate, but how effectively they cultivate responsibility.

About the Author
Jeremiah Salia is a Security Professional and Certified Data Protection Officer with professional experience in institutional security operations, risk management, safety administration, and data protection.