The University of Ghana (UG) branch of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) says sanctions handed to its members for their role is a sexual harassment scandal was “relatively harsh” given that the core allegations of exchanging sex for academic favours were not established.

Professor Ransford Gyampo and Dr Paul Butakor were on February 17, 2020, suspended for six months and four months respectively for their roles in a sexual harassment scandal which hit the university in October 2019. The suspensions which are without pay take effect from January 1, 2020.

However, UTAG in a press release signed by the UG-UTAG President, Dr Samuel N. Nkumbaan maintains that the Facts Finding Committee constituted by the University to probe the matter could not establish any instance were sex was exchanged for academic favours against the two lecturers.

Additionally, the UG-UTAG said it expected the Disciplinary Committee which handed down the sanctions to have considered the interdiction of the two lecturers in the aftermath of the allegations as sufficient punishment.

“That the Facts Finding Committee constituted by the University to investigate the matter in its report could NOT ESTABLISH ANY CASE OF SEX FOR GRADES against our colleagues,” the release said.

“That the University in its public and official communications on this matter has been deficient in communicating the actual finding of the Facts Finding Committee as contained in point one above. This in our view has not done the University sufficient good in terms of clearing the name and image of our members and the University of the allegations of Sex for Grades” by the BBC.

“That UTAG was of a considered opinion that the period of their interdiction and the financial implications of the interdiction constituted sufficient punishment and expected the recommendations of the Disciplinary Committee to have taken cognizance of that In a communication to University Management, UTAG suggested a suspension with retrospective effect from the time of their interdiction, requiring them to refund financial remunerations received during the period of their interdiction since the suspension is without pay), to lessen the sum of the economic and emotional impact that this has had on them”.

Background

Prof Gyampo and Dr Butakor were accused of soliciting sex in order to extend some advantages to female students in a documentary by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

In the documentary produced by the BBC Africa Eye and published on Monday, October 7, 2019, the BBC reported that it has uncovered sexual harassment at the University of Lagos and the University of Ghana.

The BBC sent female undercover reporters to the campuses of the two universities where it reported that they were sexually harassed, propositioned and put under pressure by senior lecturers – all the while wearing secret cameras.

Following that, the two lecturers were interdicted by the university.

Read the entire statement below;