OAU suspends professor over sex scandal

The Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, has suspended Professor Richard I. Akindele of the Department of Management and Accounting, after establishing that he was involved in marks-for-sex scandal with a female student as proven by an audio recording.

The university took the decision after receiving and considering the interim report of the committee set up to investigate the allegation of sexual harassment revealed in the audio recording.

In the interim report submitted to the Vice Chancellor, Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede, it was established that the female voice in the audio recording was that of Monica Osetobe Osagie, a postgraduate student of the Master of Business Administration (MBA) regular programme.

Although the panel had invited both Professor Akindele and Osagie, only the professor appeared before the committee, while Osagie was yet to appear before it. The report, however, indicated that other witnesses testified before the committee and gave useful evidences against the professor.

The university said it was making efforts to ensure that Osagie appears before the panel so that it could hear her side of the story before submitting its final report.

Noting that a prima facie case of inappropriate relationship with the female student had been established against Professor Akindele and having carefully and dispassionately considered the report, the institution concluded that a prima facie case of serious misconduct had been established against the professor.

Having regard to the gravity of the offence for which Professor Akindele is found to be liable, the Vice Chancellor, in line with the university’s Code of Conduct and acting under its laws and regulations enabling him in that regard, has directed that Professor Akindele be suspended from the university pending the final determination of the disciplinary case against him.