The Governing Council of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife has dismissed Prof Richard Akindele for sexually harassing Ms Monica Osagie, a student of the university.
The Council announced his dismissal at its meeting yesterday following the recommendation of the university Senate on June 20, 2018.
The Senate had considered the report of the committee set up to investigate the allegations of sexual misconduct and established that Osagie was truly sexually harassed by Akindele.
In its report to the Council, the Senate noted that:
“Professor Akindele had an inappropriate relationship with his student Miss Osagie. This was established through their conversation in the audio recording; his reply to the query; the oral evidence; and the printed ‘WhatsApp conversations’ tendered before the Committee.
“He had acted in a manner that is seen to have compromised his position as a teacher and examiner, in that, his conversations with Miss Osagie were about examination scores and inducement of favour for the alteration of examination scores.
“He offered to change Miss Osagie’s purported “33%” result to a pass mark in consideration for sexual favours, this was established in the audio recording which he admitted.
“His claim that Miss Osagie knew that she had passed with a score of ‘45’ but was seeking to score an ‘A’ and that this led to him being sexually harassed by Miss Osagie cannot be supported by any evidence.
“Professor Akindele’s actions in requesting for sexual favours from Miss Osagie to change her examination scores was scandalous behaviour that has brought ridicule to the name of the University and has tarnished the reputation of the University, as it portrays the University as an institution where its teachers and examiners trade marks for sexual favours.”
The Senate therefore found him “liable for all the allegations of misconduct levelled against him” and recommended his dismissal.
To check sexual harassment in the university, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Eyitope Ogunbodede, said the institution had strengthened its Sexual Harassment policy which was approved since 2013 and was developing a whistleblowing policy to encourage students and members of staff to report cases.
“The university has put in place a strategic implementation framework for the SH Policy which will ensure effective/rapid redress mechanisms to incidents of SH (sexual harassment). The SH Policy clearly states mechanisms for reporting and for dealing with SH cases through the committee system. This would be made more functional,” he said in a statement made available to The Nation.
Miss Monica Osagie, the alleged victim in the sex-for-marks scandal, had told the investigative panel that Prof. Richard Akindele allegedly failed her because she refused his sexual demand.
She said she did not score 33 per cent as the lecturer claimed, alleging that he failed her so that she could accede to his sexual request.
According to her lawyer, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, Monica gave evidence at the panel .
Monica, a Master’s student, released a recorded phone conversation, which went viral, in which the lecturer, identified as Akindele, demanded five rounds of sex to increase her marks.
The committee, which held its session at the Pro-Chancellor’s Lodge, admitted only Monica and her lawyer.
-Nation
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