OAU Sex-for-mark Student to Appear before Investigative Panel on Tuesday

Ololade Adeyanju/

Finally, Monica Osagie, the lady at the centre of the Obafemi Awolowo University’s sex-for-mark scandal is billed to appear before the panel investigating the incident on Tuesday.

The university authorities had on Thursday announced the indefinite suspension of the lecturer involved in the scandal, Prof. Richard Akindele, having allegedly found him culpable during preliminary investigation.

The university authorities in a letter dated April 19, 2018, invited the student to appear before the investigative panel at 10am, on April 24.

The letter inviting the student before the school panel read: “I write at the instance of the Provost, Post-Graduate College to invite you to appear before the investigative panel on alleged harassment of a female student detailed in audio recording at its meeting which will come up at 10:00am on Tuesday April 24 2018.

“Please be informed that on arrival, you are required to call the Secretary to the panel to facilitate your appearance before the panel. Thank you.”

The letter became public after a gender activist, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, had issued a statement on her behalf, claiming was never invited to appear before any panel for questioning on the issues she had raised in the audio tape.

Akiyode-Afolabi, who is the Executive Director of Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, also explained why the MBA student “resorted to self help”.

She said several efforts made by the student in reporting her predicament to two senior lecturers in the Faculty of Administration were unsuccessful as they both refused to intervene.

Akiyode-Afolabi statement read, “Contrary to the information coming from OAU, Ms. Monica Osagie was never invited by the school management to appear before any panel. I ( Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi), have been in contact with Ms. Osagie and has her instructions to inform the management of her willingness to appear before any school panel if and when duly invited.

“In this case in point, Ms. Osagie made the efforts to inform two senior members of the Faculty of Administration about her predicament and no one was able or willing to intervene, leaving her to resort to self-help in documenting her evidence.

“This once again brought into focus the need to strengthen regulations and complaint mechanisms in our institutions, so as not to expose students to unethical advances by randy lecturer.”

Akiyode-Afolabi also reportedly confirmed on Friday she had seen rthe invitation letter from the university authorities.

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