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BBC Sex for grades : UG must act promptly to dismiss lecturers involved in sexual harassment - FIDA

By Wendy Amarteifio
bbc sexual
UG lecturer involved in BBC's sex for grade scandal, Dr Paul Butakor
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The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Ghana has charged the University of Ghana to act promptly and dismiss the lecturers involved in sexual harassment and also prosecute them to deter others.

According to FIDA, lecturers are appointed based on their academic qualifications without accessing their moral integrity.

This follows the BBC's establishment of sexual harassment in exchange for academic progression at the University of Ghana and the University of Lagos.

Commenting on the development, a member of the FIDA in an interview on Starr FM today October 7, 2019, Irene Abokyi called on the women involved in such acts to come forward and file a complaint to the police to receive legal backing if needed to press charges against the perpetrators 

''Gathering evidence when it comes to sexual harassment is very difficult, now that we have evidence I think that the ladies should be willing to go all out and FIDA Ghana is ready to support with whatever legal assistance they will need so we can get to the bottom of this matter at least if one person is prosecuted it will serve as a deterrence to the rest''.

''When lecturers are appointed they only look at their academic achievement, they don't look at the moral aspect. They are only asked to be of high moral standand and they will appear to be but when they get on the ground they become selfish and greedy and begin to take advantage of the women they encounter.UG needs to sack the lecturer involved and prosecute him''.

She also condemned the latest acts of lectures in the latest BBC investigative piece saying its a shame and needs to be condemned.

''It is so unfortunate that instead of focusing and training the brain and equipping women with skills they can use to develop this nation, certain characters have decided to be selfish and greedy and force them to have sex with them for grades and we need to condemn this. It is difficult to prove sexual harassment so having been able to document this harassment we need to congratulate other women to come out to speak because I can assure you that there are thousands out there, some of them are victimized when they refuse to have sex with their lecturers. They need to come forward and give more evidence to help us find a solution to this problem. They are there to be educated not to have sex with their lecturers''.

In an investigative piece, yet to be fully aired, the BBC claims to have uncovered massive sex for grades in the University of Ghana and the University of Lagos, Nigeria.

BBC Africa Eye sent undercover journalists posing as students inside the University of Lagos and the University of Ghana after gathering scores of testimonies of sexual harassment in African Universities.

Female reporters were sexually harassed, propositioned and put under pressure by senior lecturers in the two institutions.

Meanwhile, when contacted, the lecturers involved in the sex for grades scandal denied any knowledge of the said allegations.

READ ALSO:Video: 'Sex for grades': 'Can I be your side guy?' - UG lecturer asks female undercover journalist posing as a student

In the case of Ghana, UG says it considers the allegations of misconduct leveled against, the perpetrator Dr. Paul Butakor extremely disturbing.

It says, it has a proactive policy on sexual harassment and it is committed to rooting out the problem.

READ ALSO:Video: UG Department of Education lecturer caught on BBC's sex for grade investigation