The two lecturers at the University of Ghana who were at the center of the BBC “sex for grades” scandal at the University have been suspended.
This follows the completion of the hearing of the matter involving the said lecturers – Prof. Ransford Gyampo and Dr. Paul Butakor — by the University of Ghana Senior Members’ Disciplinary Committee.
While Prof. Gyampo has been suspended for six months, Dr. Butakor will serve a suspension period of four months.
Both suspensions are without pay.
The suspension of the two lecturers according to the University takes effect from January 1, 2020.
“Management of the University of Ghana wishes to inform members of the University community that the Senior Members’ Disciplinary Committee has completed the hearing of the matter involving Professor Ransford Gyampo and Dr. Paul Butakor”, a statement from the University’s Public Affairs Directorate indicated.
It added that: “In line with statute 46 (2) of the University of Ghana Statutes, as amended, and regulation 15.0 of the Code of Conduct for Academic Staff of the University of Ghana, the Disciplinary Committee recommended a six-month suspension without pay for Professor Gyampo and a four-month suspension without pay for Dr. Butakor. The suspensions take effect from January 1, 2020.”
Lecturers to undergo sexual harassment training
Meanwhile, the University has noted that, besides the suspension, the two lectures will have to be trained on the University’s sexual misconduct policy after which they will resume their posts based on a “positive assessment”
They will also be subjected to an annual assessment for a five year period.
In addition, Prof. Gyampo and Dr. Butakor are required to undergo appropriate training on the University of Ghana’s Sexual Harassment and Misconduct Policy as well as the Code of Conduct for Academic Staff of the University of Ghana. They will be required to receive a positive assessment after the training before resumption of their duties. They are also required to undergo annual assessments for a period of five years.” the statement stated.
Meanwhile, the University has assured all students, faculty, staff, other stakeholders and the public of its commitment to” rooting out any acts of misconduct, sexual harassment or any other form of harassment and that it will not tolerate any such acts among students and employees of the University.”
The documentary
The BBC aired an exposé on the alleged sexual misconduct at the University of Ghana and University of Lagos, where the two University of Ghana lecturers were captured in the documentary and later interdicted.
Although the lecturers in question denied the allegations leveled against them, pressure mounted on the University to take a conclusive stance to show its commitment to dealing with the issue of sexual misconduct.
Whilst some groups wanted the two to be disciplined, others argued that the content of the documentary is not credible enough to implicate the lecturers.
Findings of fact-finding committee
The committee set up to investigate the two indicted lecturers established a prima facie case against the embattled faculty members.
In its report, the committee recommended that the matter should be brought before the University of Ghana’s Disciplinary committee for further actions.
The committee which was chaired by Justice Vida Akoto-Bamfo noted that the two lecturers based on initial evidence gathered misconducted themselves in breach of the University of Ghana’s statutes which stipulate that Academic staff are expected to comport themselves in ways that will enhance the image of the University.
The committee also found out that the two embattled lecturers also breached Statute 42(1)( e )(ii) which states that “no member of the University shall engage in a course of vexatious conduct that is directed at one or more specific individuals, and that is known to be unwelcome.”
