FLASHBACK: ‘Sex for grades’ not my thing – Gyampo

Political science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Professor Ransford Edward Gyampo has been implicated in the “sex for grades” investigations carried out by BBC Africa Eye; but this is not the first time his name has come up as regards the subject.

Records show that the Head of European Studies at the country’s premier university has been accused of sleeping with his students in exchange for grades on several occasions. Each time he stood accused, the outspoken lecturer vehemently denied and suggested it was a plot by some politicians to tarnish his reputation.

“I had criticized a political party and they felt putting sexual allegations on me was a way of shutting me up. I’ve always said that, the worst a politician can do is kill me but even with that, I’m not scared to die,” he said in his defense while reacting to a claim by one Ben Kwaku Andrew Asare on Starr FM.

“In my 13 years teaching here, (UG) nobody has raised that allegation against me… … But the attempts to always silence the voice of reason within the body politics does not work with people like me. I am resolved, I will do my best for mother Ghana and I will continue to speak my mind at all times,” Prof. Gyampo stated on a different platform.

The accuser later retracted the statement and rendered an unqualified apology to Gyampo.

Here’s how myjoyonline.com reported the apology story a year ago:

The man at the centre of the sex allegation scandal against Prof Ransford Gyampo has issued an unqualified apology to the lecturer and to the University of Ghana.

Ben Kwaku Andrew Asare says his allegations of sexual misconduct against the prof were unwarranted and unsubstantiated.

He has since met with Prof Gyampo to also apologise for his misconduct.

Andrew Asare made the allegation on Facebook in a reaction to a post by Professor Gyampo on patriotism in Ghana.

The University of Ghana lecturer and IEA Fellow chided political leaders for failing to imbibe the spirit of patriotism in Ghanaians.

In that post came a groundswell of support as well as criticism from party supporters and activists.

In the midst of the political commentary, however harsh, came the allegation from Ben Kwaku Andrew Asare that the Political Science lecturer Prof Gyampo had been trading sex for grades.

He neither stated the basis of his allegation nor gave any evidence for same.

According to the Political Science lecturer he was on the verge of suing his accuser but has since rescinded following a public apology issued on facebook, the same medium on which he made the allegation.

"I wish to apologize to Prof. Yaw Gyampo of the University of Ghana Political Science Department and the University of Ghana at large for some unsubstantiated allegations I made against him concerning his relationship with female students.

I take responsibility for all damages caused to his reputation and duly apologize,” Ben Kwaku Andrew Asare wrote.

He later confirmed to Myjoyonline.com the apology as issued on facebook was genuine and authentic.

Prof Gyampo later told Myjoyonline.com the allegation is part of attempts to gag him and others who are vocal on political issues in the country.