Gabriel Dike

As outrage over the sex-for-admission scandal grows intense, management of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) has announced the suspension of another lecturer, Dr. Samuel Oladipo.

On Monday, UNILAG management had suspended Dr. Boniface Igbeneghu of the Department of  European Languages and Integrated Studies and banned him from the campus.

The trending video chronicled cases of sexual harassment of female students by lecturers in some West African universities including UNILAG in exchange for admission.

Dr. Oladipo, lecturer in the Department of Economics, was featured in the second stream of the video recording allegedly demanding for sex in exchange for admission from an undercover British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reporter in his office.

Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ouwatoyin Ogundipe, said Dr. Oladipo will face a panel.

A specialist in Economic Development, Oladipo has six research works to his credit and one project. His recent article, which he co-authored with C. Ogboni is titled: ‘’Stock market and economic growth: The Nigerian experience’’ was published in August.

When newsmen visited the offices of the two lecturers, yesterday, it was under lock and key and none of their colleagues could explain their whereabouts while students claimed they saw them last on Friday.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) UNILAG branch, Dr. Dele Ashiru, has described the incident as unfortunate and tragic.

Ashiru, who said the union was against all forms of unethical practices, including sexual harassment, called for thorough investigation and appropriate sanction for lecturers indicted in the alleged sex for grades scandal in order to sanitise the university system.

“As a union, we are against all unethical practices among colleagues, including sexual harassment and even abuse.

“The development is very disturbing and unfortunate. We have appealed to colleagues to understand that as lecturers, we stand in ‘loco parentis’ (in the place of a parent) to these students and must not be perceived in any way of not being protective.”

He urged members to refrain from any act that could tarnish the image of the university.

Chimdi Maduagwu, professor of English, also in UNILAG, said there was need for a social re-orientation of the lecturers and others.

According to him, it is about social scrutiny, urging for enforcement of self discipline, especially among the academic staff.