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Tag: Monica Osagie

  • Court denies OAU sex-for-marks lecturer bail

    A Federal High Court in Osogbo, Osun State, yesterday refused to grant bail to a former Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) lecturer, Prof. Richard Akindele, charged with demanding sex to pass his student, Monica Osagie.

    Justice Maureen Onyetenu ordered Akindele to be remanded in Ilesa Prison until December 17.

    She ordered the prosecution counsel from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to produce video evidence of the lecturer and his student allegedly having fun.

    ICPC Senior Legal Officer Mr Kehinde Adetoye had prayed the court to deny the defendant bail on the grounds that he would not appear for his trial when released.

    Read also: ASUU: OAU students confused as lecturers split on strike

    He argued that the defendant had refused to turn up at the ICPC office in Abuja after a written agreement to honour any invitation extended to him, particularly on his return from abroad on a medical trip.

    Defence counsel Mr. Francis Omotosho prayed the court to grant his client bail pending the final determination of the case.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the lecturer was first arraigned before Justice Maureen Onyetenu on November 19 by the ICPC on four counts of alteration of age and demanding sex to pass his student.

     

  • Sex for marks: OAU sacks Professor

    The Governing Council of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife has dismissed Prof Richard Akindele for sexually harassing Ms Monica Osagie, a student of the university.

    The Council announced his dismissal at its meeting yesterday following the recommendation of the university Senate on June 20, 2018.

    The Senate had considered the report of the committee set up to investigate the allegations of sexual misconduct and established that Osagie was truly sexually harassed by Akindele.

    In its report to the Council, the Senate noted that:

    “Professor Akindele had an inappropriate relationship with his student Miss Osagie.  This was established through their conversation in the audio recording; his reply to the query; the oral evidence; and the printed ‘WhatsApp conversations’ tendered before the Committee.

    “He had acted in a manner that is seen to have compromised his position as a teacher and examiner, in that, his conversations with Miss Osagie were about examination scores and inducement of favour for the alteration of examination scores.

    Miss Monica Osagie, a student in the Masters of Business programme, had released a recorded telephone conversation, which went viral, in which the lecturer identified as Akindele  demanded five rounds of sex to enhance her marks.

    The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Eyitope Ogunbodede said that the University Senate at its meeting on June 14 considered the committee’s finding that Akindele had an inappropriate relationship with his student.

    He said this was established through their conversation in the audio recording,  his reply to the query,  the oral evidence  and the printed ‘WhatsApp conversations’ tendered before the committee.

    The vice chancellor  said Akindele had acted in a manner that  compromised his position as a teacher and examiner  in that  his conversations with  Osagie were about examination scores and inducement of favour for the alteration of examination scores.

    Ogunbodede said :  ” He offered to change Miss Osagie’s purported “33%” result to a pass mark in consideration for sexual favours;  this was established in the audio recording which he admitted.

    ” His claim that Miss Osagie knew that she had passed with a score of ‘45’ but was seeking to score an ‘A’ and that this led to him being sexually harassed by Miss Osagie cannot be supported by any evidence.

    ” Professor Akindele’s actions in requesting for sexual favours from Miss Osagie to change her examination scores was scandalous behaviour that has brought ridicule to the name of the university and has tarnished the reputation of the university, as it portrays the university as an institution where its teachers and examiners trade marks for sexual favours.

    ” From the evidence, Miss Osagie had no idea that she scored ‘45’, a pass mark as later claimed by Professor Akindele, although she later found out she did not fail the course.

    ” Professor Akindele’s claim that he reported Miss Osagie’s ‘harassment’ to his colleagues cannot be supported by any evidence as all his colleagues denied it and one mentioned that she only talked about the matter with him after the audio recording was released over the internet.

    ” Professor Akindele operated in a position of power and authority over Miss Osagie and as such sexually harassed her.

    Read Also: Sex-for-marks: Prof. failed me deliberately, says student

    The Senate therefore found him “liable for all the allegations of misconduct levelled against him” and recommended his dismissal.

    To check sexual harassment in the university, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Eyitope Ogunbodede, said the institution had strengthened its Sexual Harassment policy which was approved since 2013 and was developing a whistleblowing policy to encourage students and members of staff to report cases.

    ” The Council, at its meeting of today, Wednesday, 20th of June, 2018, having considered the recommendation of Senate, as well as the report of the Joint Committee of Council and Senate, decided that Professor Richard I. Akindele should be dismissed from the services of the university for gross misconduct.

    ” The university has also taken further steps to ensure the total elimination of Sexual Harassment (SH) in the OAU community.

    “The university has a legal duty to prevent sexual and gender-based harassment within the institution and ensure that both men and women are protected from this menace; and thereby provide conducive environment for teaching and learning,’’ he said.

    Ogunbodede said in order to create conducive environment for teaching and learning, the university was creating more awareness and disseminating information on what constitutes sexual harassment within the university.

    He said the veracity of  sexual harassment concepts includes sexual solicitation and advances, sex exploitation, prostitution, seduction, pimping, sexual assault, unwanted touching, vulgar sexual jokes and  rape among others.

    Ogunbodede said that OAU was fully committed to the eradication of sexual and other types of harassment from the university and would do all that was  possible to nip the menace in the bud.

    ” OAU has zero tolerance for sexual harassment and as a renowned university will do everything humanly possible to maintain the rules and regulations of the university,’’ he said.

    Miss Monica Osagie, the alleged victim in the sex-for-marks scandal, had told the investigative panel that Prof. Richard Akindele allegedly failed her because she refused his sexual demand.

    She said she did not score 33 per cent as the lecturer claimed, alleging that he failed her so that she could accede to his sexual request.

    According to her lawyer, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, Monica gave evidence at the panel .

    Monica, a Master’s student, released a recorded phone conversation, which went viral, in which the lecturer, identified as Akindele, demanded five rounds of sex to increase her marks.

    The committee, which held its session at the Pro-Chancellor’s Lodge, admitted only Monica and her lawyer.

  • Sex-for-marks: Prof. deliberately failed Monica – Lawyer

    Miss Monica Osagie, the victim in the sex-for-marks scandal at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, has told an investigative panel that the disgraced Professor Richard Akindele deliberately failed her because she refused his sexual demand.

    She said she did not score 33 per cent as the lecturer claimed, but was failed so that she could bow to his sexual demand.
    Monica said this today when she appeared before the panel, her lawyer Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi told newsmen.

    Our reporter racalls that Osagie had appeared before the committee set up by the institution’s authorities in company of her counsel.
    Osagie, a student in the Masters of Business programme, released a recorded telephone conversation, which went viral, in which the lecturer identified as Akindele, demanded five rounds of sex to enhance her marks.

    The committee, which held its session at the Pro -Chancellor’s Lodge on the campus, allowed only Osagie and her counsel into the venue.
    Journalists, students and some members of the National Human Rights Commission who came to witness the sitting were not allowed into the venue by security personnel of the institution who blocked the entrance.

    Akiyode-Afolabi, who spoke with newsmen after the closed door session which lasted more than seven hours, said Osagie told the panel that she passed the course but was later failed by the don because of her refusal to sleep with him.
    She said that Osagie narrated in details what transpired between her and the don, adding that lawyers present at the meeting were not allowed to make any contribution.

    Akiyode-Afolabi , who is the Executive Director for Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, Abuja, said that Osagie also informed the panel that she recorded the conversation between her and the professor as an evidence.
    She said Osagie also informed the panel that she reported the sexual harassment by the don to some lecturers in the university, adding that no action was taken by them.

    Akiyode-Afolabi said some lawyers who represented the lecturers to whom Osagie claimed she reported the case, also appeared before the panel.

    She said that Osagie also told the panel that she did not score 33 per cent as alleged but was failed so that she could bow to the sexual demands of the don.

    Akiyode-Afolabi said she was optimistic that the outcome of the investigative panel would serve as a lesson to other lecturers who also engage in such act.

    She, however, urged the panel to ensure that justice prevailed on the issue so as to maintain the integrity of the institution.

    Read Also: Sex scandal: Monica appears before panel

    Akiyode-Afolabi, who did not allow Osagie to talk to newsmen, said her client would always be available to give evidence whenever she was called upon.

    Members of the panel did not also speak with newsmen after the meeting.

    Recall that a recorded audio conversation of the don demanding for sex to increase the marks of the female postgraduate student had gone viral.
    The audio recording generated reactions from a cross-section of the public, making the university authorities to set up an investigative panel.

    The vice chancellor, Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede on Friday confirmed the suspension of Akindele.

    Ogunbodede, in a statement, said he had received and considered the interim report of the committee set up to investigate the allegation of sexual harassment revealed in the audio recording.

    The vice chancellor said that though the investigative committee invited both Akindele and Osagie, only the don had appeared before the committee

  • Sex scandal: Monica appears before panel

    Miss Monica Osagie, the student who alleged that a don at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun, demanded sex from her for marks on Tuesday appeared before an investigative committee set up by the university authorities.

    Osagie, a postgraduate student in the Masters of Business programme, had released a recorded telephone conversation, which went viral, in which the lecturer identified as Prof. Richard Akindele, allegedly demanded sex for marks.

    The committee, which held its session at the Pro -Chancellor’s Lodge on the campus, allowed only Osagie and her lawyer into the venue.

    Journalists, students and some members of the National Human Right Commission who came to witness the sitting were not allowed into the venue of the sitting by security personnel of the institution who manned the entrance.

    The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Eyitope Ogunnbodede, confirmed to journalists that Osagie was appearing before the committee.

    Ogunnbodede , who spoke as though he was not aware that newsmen were already outside the venue of the sitting, said that he could not disclose the venue of the sitting.

    ” The lady is appearing before the committee.

    ” Members of the committee told me that the lady came and she is appearing before them but I cannot disclose the venue to you,” the vice chancellor said.

    Mrs Nkechi Obiagbaoso, a Legal Officer for Women Advocate Research and Documentation Centre, Abuja, said she and two other lawyers were present to represent Osagie.

    Obiagbaoso, who spoke with newsmen outside the venue of the sitting, said that two of the lawyers were allowed into the venue of panel sitting while she was asked to stay outside.

    According to her, the former venue used for the investigation was changed earlier today because of the crowd that might be interested in the case.

    Recall that the vice chancellor on Friday confirmed the suspension of Akindele.

    Ogunbodede, in a statement, said he had received and considered the interim report of the committee set up to investigate the allegation of sexual harassment revealed in the audio recording.

    He also said that the female voice in the audio had been identified as that of Miss Monica Osetobe Osagie, a Postgraduate Student in the Master of Business Administration Regular programme.

    The vice chancellor said that though the investigative committee invited both Akindele and Osagie, only the don had appeared before the committee.

    “The university is making efforts to ensure that Miss Osagie appears before the investigative committee so that it can hear her side of the case and promptly submit its final report, ” he had said.

    The audio recording had generated reactions from a cross-section of the public until the university authorities reacted.