Anti-harassment committees must be independent – Tetteh Chaie

The Greater Accra Regional Secretary of the NDC Theophilus Tetteh Chaie has called on universities to ensure that their anti-harassment committees are independent of manipulation.

According to him, such committees should not only be made up of members of the university fraternity.

He backed his demand on the basis that lecturers discuss students’ issues among themselves and therefore could be easily compromised in disciplinary decision making.

Speaking on the Morning Starr Friday, he said “Let me tell you one thing about these adjudicating committees in the universities. I don’t know how that of Legon has been set up, but you see I strongly disagree with the fact that particular committee that looks at issues of the students, members of the committee should be made of majority or all the members of the university fraternity, no I totally disagree with it.”

“Because you see, some lecturers I have come to know, we are friends, we discuss things together, whatever some do to students, they tell the other colleagues,” he said.

The University of Ghana has interdicted political science lecturer Professor Ransford Gyampo and Dr. Paul Kwame Butakor over the BBC’s sex for grades investigative piece.

The two lecturers were accused in the BBC investigative piece of taking advantage of their positions to harass students sexually.

In a statement, the University which has defended the lecturers in the sex for grades allegations said “The University of Ghana’s attention has been drawn to a BBC documentary entitled ‘Sex for Grades’ Undercover in West African Universities fully aired in the evening of October 7, 2019. We would like to state unequivocally that the University places great importance on issues of sexual harassment and misconduct, and condemn any of such acts.

“Given that commitment, the Business and Executive Committee of the University has taken a decision to interdict Prof. Ransford Gyampo and Dr. Paul Kwame Butakor, the two lecturers featured in the documentary to allow for further investigations into the matter. In line with University regulations, the two will be invited by the Anti-Sexual Harassment Committee in the next few days to assist with further investigations into the BBC documentary”.