Sex scandal: OAU not foot-dragging issues — PRO
By Seth Akande
Obafemi Awolowo university, Ile Ife has debunked the allegations stating she had been foot-dragging the issues of the sex scandal that occurred in the university involving a student and professor in its university.
In a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the University, Abiodun Olarewaju, it was revealed that the unwholesome incident occurred 18th of March, 2022.
The victim Boluwatife Hannah BABABUNMI of the Department of Linguistics and African Languages wrote a petition to the University Management against Joseph Ayo Opefeyitimi, a professor of Yoruba incantations and Stylistics, of the same department, on the 21st of March, 2022.
After the victim complaints, the steps were taken by the departmental committee which deliberated on the matter and, after thorough investigation, Professor Opefeyitimi was found prima facie liable.
The case was further taken to the Faculty level and the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, professor Niyi Okunoye who referred the matter to the anti sexual harassment committee of the University. The committee sat and clinically deliberated on this same matter, and recommended appropriate disciplinary actions against professor Ayo Opefeyitimi to the University Management, and next to Governing Council which has the final say on the matter, considering the status of the staff involved.
The management made note that the authorities of the Obafemi Awolowo University have never shielded and will not shield any staff or student found to have committed any sexual misdemeanor.
The university appealed to the general public to be rest assured and be reassured that the present University Management does not condone sexual rascality of any form, under any guise against any member of the University community from anybody.
Previous cases of this nature had not evaded the disciplinary hammer of the University administration and as it mark of its zero tolerance for sexual harassment, the present University Management had summarily dismissed three lecturers who had committed similar sexual offences.
