UG interdicts Gyampo, Butakor over ‘Sex for Grades’ scandal

The University of Ghana has interdicted two of its lecturers who were captured in the sex for Grade Scandal.

The two, Prof. Ransford Gyampo and Dr. Paul Kwame Butakor are expected to be hauled before the University’s Anti Sexual Harassment Committee to assist with internal investigations.

“The Business and Executive Committee of the University has taken a decision to interdict Prof. Ransford Gyampo and Dr. Paul Kwame Butakor, the two lecturers featured in the documentary to allow for further investigations into the matter. In line with University regulations, the two will be invited by the Anti-Sexual Harassment Committee in the next few days to assist with further investigations into the BBC documentary.”, a statement from the university indicated.

These lecturers were implicated in the BBC documentary over their alleged sexual harassment of female students.

Although they have denied the allegations leveled against them, pressure has mounted on the University to take decisive actions to show its commitment of dealing with the issue of sexual misconduct.

In the release, management of the University also indicated that it will not undermine the importance of its anti-sexual harassment guideline to tackle this menace which is ‘fundamentally exploiting power imbalance and the voicelessness on individuals, families and institutions.’

As a result, it has expressed commitment to investigate this matter and all other cases of sexual abuse brought before it and ensure that persons who are culpable face the punitive measure they due them.

“The University will prosecute the current matter under investigation, in addition to all outstanding cases before the Committee. We would like to state emphatically that the University of Ghana does not and will not shield any employee or student found to have engaged in sexual harassment or misconduct.”

“No member of the University is above the law”, it added.

Whilst some groups want the two penalized, others have argued that the content of the documentary is not plausible enough to incriminate the lecturers.

But Kiki Mordi, the reporter behind the sex for grades exposé by BBC Africa Eye spoke to Bernard Koku Avle on the Citi Breakfast Show shed some light on how the investigation was executed.

Punish the lecturers – SRC demands

The executive body of the University of Ghana Student Representative Council (SRC) earlier vowed to ensure that lecturers indicted in the sex for grades documentary by the BBC are sanctioned appropriately.

President of the UG SRC, Isaac Agyemang in an interview with Citi News‘ Hanson Agyemang called on the University to investigate the matter and punish those found guilty.

“As a leader of the Students’ Representative Council, I’m willing at length to ensure that any person found culpable of the offences levelled against them…in relation to sexual harassment of any student is brought to book. Students came here to acquire higher learning and so any such misconduct where lecturers or any senior management member trying to take advantage of students…justice must be served for students who have been victims. This is a bad practice by senior management”, he said.