By Gabriel Dike, Lagos
University of Lagos (UNILAG) Vice-Chancellor Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe said on Monday that the school’s management has not swept sexual harassment cases against three lecturers under the rug.
Prof Ogundipe, who disclosed this at the media parley, said the cases against a professor and two senior lecturers are still under investigations.
In 2018, Prof Segun Awonusi of Department of English was accused by Miss Joy Nwanna of sexual harassment in his office at the Arts Block.
While in 2019, two senior lecturers, Dr Samuel Oladapo of Department of Economics and Dr Boniface Igbenegbu in Faculty of Arts were caught on camera by BBC reporter, Kiki Mordi demanding for sex for admission.
The university management suspended the three lecturers to allow for investigations but the cases have not been concluded thus the speculation of the cases being swept under the carpet.
Prof Ogundipe said because of COVID-19 and the current ASUU strike, the Prof Agomo committee has not met to conclude the sexual harassment cases against the three lecturers.
He further explained that the Senate of the university has not met also because of the ongoing ASUU strike. The VC revealed that the three lecturers involved are still under suspension.
Specifically, on the Prof Awonusi case, the VC said the university is still waiting for the lady, Miss Joy Nwanna, who accused him of sexual harassment, stressing ‘we are still waiting for the lady to come forward. We have not suspended action or swept it under the carpet.’
On the BBC reporter’s accusation against two senior lecturers, Prof Ogundipe said, Kiki Mordi refused to come forward before the committee, adding, ‘we tried severally times to get her to appear before the committee without success.’
‘By January or February, Senate of the university will meet and take a decision. The committee headed by Prof. Agomo of Faculty of Law is still in existence.
‘I want to assure you that if anybody is involved in sexual harassment or collected money from students, the university management will deal with the issue. Prof. Awonusi case is not a concluded case and likewise the two others,’ he said.
Prof Ogundipe revealed that peace has finally returned to UNILAG after the storm and lauded President Muhammadu Buhari, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo, Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu and other stakeholders for resolving the crisis that engulfed the university recently.
