The committee probing the infamous “Sex for Grades” scandal at the University of Ghana has presented its report to the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Ebenezer Oduro Owusu.
The committee presented the report on Tuesday, November 12, 2019.
In a speech delivered on his behalf by Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfoh, Pro-Vice-Chancellor in charge of Academic and student affairs, at a congregation of the school of humanities on Thursday, the Vice-Chancellor said management will study the report and ensure implementation of the recommendations.
“Following the recent media reports of alleged sexual harassment cases involving some faculty members at the university, management put measures in place to enforce its sexual harassment policies. Following the broadcast, management set up a five-member fact-finding committee chaired by her ladyship retired Justice Vida Akoto-Bamfo to conduct an inquiry into the matter. I am happy to inform you that the committee submitted its report to the Vice-Chancellor on Tuesday, 12th November 2019”.
“Management will, therefore, study the report and ensure implementation of the recommendations using the appropriate processes stipulated in our basic laws and policies of the University”.
The University of Ghana interdicted two of its lecturers captured in the BBC’s “Sex for Grades” documentary over their alleged sexual harassment of female students.
The two — Prof. Ransford Gyampo and Dr. Paul Kwame Butakor were later hauled before the University’s Anti Sexual Harassment Committee to assist with internal investigations.
Although the two denied the allegations levelled against them, pressure was mounted on the University to take decisive actions to show its commitment to dealing with the issue of sexual misconduct.
The university among other things, set up a five-member fact-finding committee to look into the matter and offer its recommendations.
The university subsequently published phone numbers and an e-mail for students to report any form of harassment.
‘Ghanaians behaving like ostriches in Sex for Grades saga’ – Prof. Akosua Adomako
A Professor of African and Gender Studies at the Institute of African Studies, at the University of Ghana, Professor Akosua Adomako Ampofo in October 2019 hit hard at critics who absolve lecturers from blame in student-lecturer sexual misconduct.
According to her, such utterances expose the unhealthy hypocrisy and the seeming disregard of the dangers such issues present in the society.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on the back of the ‘Sex for Grades’ exposé, Prof. Ampofo said the latest development should be dealt with decisively to empower victims to come forward for their problems to be solved.
“I get so exhausted when people say the students also harass the lecturer and I ask if they [lecturers] do not have the strength; you that have more power and responsibly more than her? It is a recurring problem as people have said and we are behaving like ostriches. This is something that is going on in our environment. We are aware of it. It happens to our daughters, sisters and occasionally our brothers and until somebody speaks up, the rest of us continue to go on with our everyday life and that is very disturbing,” she said.
Citinewsroom
