Female student in OAU scandal speaks out
The victim in the sex-for-mark sex scandal denies claims that she was invited to face a panel.
She is the victim in the leaked audio conversation between Professor Richard Akindele, who lectures at the Department of Accountancy and a student, that went viral on April 9, 2018.
According to the Saturday Sun newspaper, Osagie has denied claims that she rejected an invitation to face the panel probing the viral audio tape.
Speaking through her proxy, Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, Founder, Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, a non-profit organization, she said she is still waiting for the panel to send an invitation.
In her words, “Before the matter went viral, the university was aware of it and they did not do anything. If the case did not go viral, the university probably would not have done anything and it would have been swept under the carpet.
“I think that we should focus more on whether the act of that professor amounts to sexual harassment, whether it was a breach of the school’s code of conduct, whether it was a breach of terms of contract for lecturers or whether he abused the relationship that should exist between lecturers and students.”
Akiyode-Afolabi noted that Miss Osagie “didn’t release the audio. She got the evidence and it was given to one or two people when she was seeking for help. So definitely one of them released the audio, and she cannot be blamed for it.”
She also advised the university to address Miss Osagie’s case and other issues of sexual harassment with responsibility.
Sex-for-mark scandal
Last month, a leaked conversation between the victim and her professor went viral.
In it, professor Akindelewas heard demanding for five rounds of sex from the student to increase her grade from 33 to a pass mark.
On April 13, 2018, the University Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olanrewaju announced plans to identify the student in the viral clip.
The student was later identified as Miss Osagie while Prof Akindele was suspended following the submission of the report of the investigation committee.
According to the VC, “the committee observed that a prima facie case of an inappropriate relationship with the female student had been established against Professor Richard I. Akindele”.
For now, only the professor has faced the investigative committee.
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