‘Sex for grades’: Gyampo, Butakor report ready – UG V-C

The committee set up by the University of Ghana (UG) to investigate allegations of sexual harassment made by the BBC against two lecturers of the University of Ghana has submitted its report to the management of the school, Vice-Chancellor Prof Ebenezer Oduro Owusu has revealed.

Professor Ransford Gyampo and Dr Paul Kwame Butakor were interdicted after they were caught in the ‘sex-for-grades’ undercover documentary.

The BBC reporters who posed as journalists also busted two lecturers in Nigeria.

Prof Ransford Gyampo denied the allegations and threatened to sue the BBC while Dr Butakor refuted the accusation that he had exchanged grades for sexual favours with a student of UG.

Prof Owusu, who was addressing the November 2019 Congregation of UG said: “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, 12 November 2019”.

He was quick to add that: “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”.

Meanwhile, the Chancellor of the university, Mrs Mary Chinery-Hesse, has reiterated the tertiary institution’s zero-tolerance policy for sexual misconduct.

Openly commenting on the topic for the first time, Mrs Chinery-Hesse said the university has instituted enough mechanisms to ensure the safety of students and expressed satisfaction at the manner in which the management of the university handled the BBC allegations.

Speaking at the November 2019 Congregation of the university, Mrs Chinery-Hesse urged the students to report cases of sexual violation and assured them of the university's protection.

"The university management is fully committed to ensuring that the campus environment will be completely free from all forms of sexual harassment. The University of Ghana will not condone any form of sexual harassment,” she emphasised.

She said the school is being positioned to have “zero tolerance for such abuse”.

She said “robust policies” that have proven effective in managing sexual abuse will be implemented and assured that the victims will “not suffer any form of victimisation as a result of reporting”.