#SexForGrades: UNILAG Sacks Lecturers Caught On Camera Demanding Sex For Grade In BBC Documentary
Two lecturers of University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, who were involved in a sex-for-marks scandal, Boniface Igbeneghu and Samuel Oladipo, have been dismissed by the institution.
The university’s new governing council, which is headed by a medical practitioner and an alumnus of the institution, Lanre Tejuoso, took the decision on Monday during its second meeting since its constitution.
The decision was taken almost two years after the two lecturers were exposed in a 52-minute documentary by BBC Africa where an undercover journalist, Kiki Mordi, disguised as a 17-year-old admission seeker, to expose the antics of the randy lecturers.
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The documentary, published in October 2019, focused on sexual harassment in tertiary institutions in Nigeria and Ghana.
It nailed Igbeneghu, Oladipo, and University of Ghana lecturers, Ransford Gyampo and Paul Butakor.
A statement issued on Wednesday by the university’s communication unit, corporate affairs division at the office of the vice-chancellor, said the dismissals were effective from Monday, May 31.
Igbeneghu was a lecturer in the Department of European Languages and Integration Studies.
The former sub-dean, Faculty of Arts, was sacked as head pastor of a local Foursquare Gospel Church at the start of the scandal.
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Oladipo lectured at Department of Economics, Faculty of Social Sciences. The duo had been suspended.
The statement reads in part;
The Governing Council of the University of Lagos, at its meeting on Monday, May 31, 2021, approved the immediate dismissal of Dr. Boniface Igbeneghu of the Department of European Languages and Integration Studies, Faculty of Arts and Dr. Samuel Omoniyi Oladipo of the Department of Economics, Faculty of Social Sciences, from the services of the University.
Council, at its meeting, considered the report and findings of the Senate Committee set up to investigate allegations of sexual harassment levelled against them in a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) World Service Investigative Series titled AFRICA EYE (which centred on sexual harassment in tertiary institutions).
The Council consequently decided and approved that both Dr. Boniface Igbeneghu and Dr. Samuel Omoniyi Oladipo be dismissed from the services of the university for misconduct, with effect from Monday, May 31, 2021 in line with section 18 of the University of Lagos Act 1967.
The university added that the council had mandated the university authorities to review its sexual harassment policy “as may be necessary and institute effective strategies to prevent future occurrence.”
Background
On October 7, 2019, BBC released the documentary which focused on the inappropriate sexual advances of four lecturers from both University of Ghana and UNILAG.
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The two West African universities immediately announced the suspension of the lecturers involved.
In the case of UNILAG, Virgil Onyene, a professor, was appointed to chair the investigative panel to unravel the circumstances surrounding the allegations and make recommendations.
However, more than one year after the panel had submitted its report to the Senate of the university through the Oluwatoyin Ogundipe-led management of the university, no action was taken by the institution.
However, at various fora, the vice-chancellor linked the delay to the prolonged crisis that rocked the university over disagreements between the management and the university’s sacked governing council.
PREMIUM TIMES reported how the former council, which was chaired by another alumnus and a businessman cum lawyer, Wale Babalakin, and the Ogudipe-led management had engaged in a supremacy battle leading to the suspension of both the vice-chancellor and the governing council by President Muhammadu Buhari.
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Mr Buhari acted in his capacity as the Visitor to the university.
But following the reinstatement of Mr Ogundipe as the vice-chancellor and the dissolution of the Mr Babalakin-led council, a new council was inaugurated in April. The council held its inaugural meeting between May 4 and 5, and held the second meeting on Monday.
