The Chairperson of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Abena Osei-Asare, has described the Acting Rent Control Commissioner Frederick Opoku as an “action man” following his recent efforts to enforce rent regulations and scrutinise charges at private hostels.

The remark was made when Mr Opoku appeared before the Public Accounts Committee on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, as the Committee continued its scrutiny of public institutions.

As the Acting Rent Commissioner introduced himself to the Committee, Madam Osei-Asare welcomed him and acknowledged his recent activities in the rent sector.

“Oh, you are the man all over the place. Very interesting character. Welcome. You are an action man,” she said.

Her comment comes amid a series of interventions by Mr Opoku to regulate private accommodation facilities, particularly hostels serving students.

In recent months, the Acting Rent Commissioner has stepped up inspections of private hostels and warned operators against practices he considers contrary to Ghana’s rent laws.

• Read also: ‘Now it’s action, no talking’ – Rent Control cracks whip on hostel operators

He has also maintained that private hostels are not exempt from rent-control regulations, insisting that the Rent Control Department has jurisdiction over private premises across the country, except government-owned properties.

Mr Opoku has been particularly vocal about hostel charges, following concerns over rising accommodation fees and complaints from students.

In May, the Rent Control Department directed private hostel owners and operators to suspend proposed increases in fees for the 2026/2027 academic year pending consultations with stakeholders.

He subsequently embarked on inspections of some student accommodation facilities, where he raised concerns about overcrowding, poor ventilation and the conditions in which some students were being housed.

• Read also: Rent Control orders hostel owners to suspend proposed 2026/2027 fee increments

During one such inspection, Mr Opoku described some facilities as “cubicles, not hostels”, after observing rooms accommodating several students in what he considered inadequate conditions.

The Acting Commissioner has also disclosed that his office had taken action against some operators it considered to be operating illegally, including the closure of five hostels in Koforidua and the identification of about 25 allegedly illegal hostels in Sunyani.

His approach has, however, attracted pushback from some hostel operators.

Ghana Hostels Limited, for instance, previously criticised comments made by Mr Opoku concerning charges at the Pentagon Hostel, arguing that his remarks were based on inadequate due diligence and had created a misleading impression about the facility.

• Read also: Acting Rent Control Commissioner directs landlords, hostel operators to issue rent cards  

Despite the pushback, Mr Opoku has continued to insist that hostel operators must comply with the law and that accommodation charges should be subject to appropriate regulatory scrutiny.

It was against this backdrop of heightened activity in the sector that Madam Osei-Asare welcomed him to the PAC hearing as an “action man”.