Latest update April 20th, 2025 7:19 AM
Latest News
- Jagdeo downplays cost-of-living impact from 7th project
- Ghana bans foreigners from trading in its gold market to boost revenue
- Israeli bombardment of Gaza kills 92 in two days: Health Ministry
- Couple dies after gas bottle explosion at Soesdyke home
- Guyana to remain CNOOC’s main source of production growth – 2024 Annual Report reveals
UG meeting to hear concerns about protracted ‘washroom’ woes
Adequate access to potable water coupled with a daunting sewage issue at the University of Guyana (UG) Turkeyen campus, is being viewed as a possible health threat, and the Students’ Society is not taking this
A section of the washroom facilities at the Faculty of Health Sciences.
situation lightly.
The body has repeatedly amplified its concerns in this regard and is currently preparing to again bring it to the attention of the University’s administration when the Finance and General purposes meeting is convened next Wednesday, December 16.
University of Guyana Students’ Society (UGSS) President, Joshua Griffith, yesterday informed this publication that the concerns relating to the washroom facilities, under which the water and sewage issues fall, are on the agenda of the meeting. The lack of supplies for the washroom facilities have also been a constant concern to students.
But these have been concerns of the Turkeyen student population for a protracted period.
In fact, Griffith recalled that when the UGSS had engaged industrial action earlier this year to raise a number of concerns about a number of issues including concerns about the state of the washroom facilities.
“We had soon after gotten some relief in terms of the availability of toilet paper, running water, hand soap, but that only lasted for a short period,” disclosed Griffith. It wasn’t long after he disclosed that the situation returned to its former deplorable state.
“Having these things in place,” according to Griffith, “has been a regular struggle.”
And the UGSS President has linked the situation to the lack of proper management and maintenance.
“This system at UG needs to be prioritised, because even with all the cleaning and painting that stench will still remain, unless we condemn some of these facilities and build new ones and address the sewage system immediately and urgently,” said Griffith of the washroom facilities.
“Joyous was the fortnight when the standards of our washroom facilities included regular cleaning, clean flowing water, plus soap and toilet paper. It is regrettable that this experience did not endure two weeks; instead we have returned to a state of unsanitary washroom facilities that receive inconsistent bouts of cleaning,” said Griffith at a recent press conference.
But according to him yesterday, since that press conference, efforts have been made to ensure that supplies were replenished.
He however acknowledged that keeping the facility in the desired condition is not only the task of the administration. According to him, some students are guilty of negligence and have not been treating the facilities with care.
“We have students who have destroyed and mishandled some facilities and we do not condone this behaviour,” asserted Griffith. “We are calling on students to be responsible and to appreciate the little that we have, so that we can work towards improving the more that we will get. Students also have to be responsible; it is not easy to represent students who are negligent, who are setting a bad example for society.”
The UGSS, he insisted, “denounces any and every act by students to destroy University property; and we are considering how to properly address any student caught in such behaviour. We cannot and will not destroy that which we are trying to help build.”
Griffith said that in the interim, the UGSS is calling on the University administration to implement structured regular cleaning of all student washroom facilities. The student body is also recommending procedures and protocol to ensure printed schedules of cleaning of washrooms are placed in every washroom inter alia.
These recommendations are slated to be among the concerns that will be discussed extensively when the meeting is called next week Wednesday, Griffith said.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
Cricket West Indies expressed deep sorrow at the Passing of Milton Pydana
ST JOHN’S, Antigua- “It is with a heavy heart that we at Cricket West Indies mourn the passing of Milton Pydana... more
Collaborative Government–Private Sector Action Imperative for a Resilient Trade Future
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- On April 9, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 90-day suspension of the higher... more
Weekend Cartoon
