Outspoken senior lecturer at the University of Ghana (UG), Professor Ransford Yaw Gyampo, has been cited in the explosive sex for grade scandal in West African universities.
In one of a series of trailers released by the BBC Monday, the political scientist was captured on tape proposing marriage to an undercover female journalist posing as a student of the University.
The Associate professor, who heads the Centre for European Studies at UG, was said to have agreed to be the mentor of the lady, who unknown to him, was investigating allegations of sexual harassment against him.
According to the BBC, Prof Gyampo after few weeks, called the lady on phone and asked her to meet with him at his home, but the lady managed “to persuade him to meet at a mall instead”.
“Throughout this meeting, he made numerous inappropriate remarks. He also asked her to marry him. He then said he wanted to kiss her,” the BBC said in the trailer.
But Prof Gyampo who has been vocal on matters of national interest has denied the allegation.
“[He] vehemently denies sexually harassing our reporter or any student” the BBC said, in the trailer, quoting Prof Gyampo as saying he “treats all students with respect, care and genuine affection”.
Prof Gyampo, according to the BBC, claimed he was entrapped.
The BBC has however “strongly refused” the entrapment claim.
When contacted by the BBC, authorities at the University of Ghana described the allegation as “extremely disturbing” and that they have a policy on sexual harassment which they are committed to enforcing.
According to the BBC, academic institutions in West Africa have increasingly been facing allegations of sexual harassment by lecturers. This type of abuse is said to be endemic, but it has almost never proven.
After gathering dozens of testimonies, BBC Africa Eye sent undercover journalists posing as students inside the University of Lagos and the University of Ghana.
Female reporters were sexually harassed, propositioned and put under pressure by senior lecturers at the institutions – all the while wearing secret cameras.
Reporter Kiki Mordi, who knows first-hand how devastating sexual harassment can be, reveals what happens behind closed doors at some of the region’s most prestigious universities.
Watch the trailer here. The full documentary airs this evening at 6:00pm.
Barnaamijka dabogalka BBC-da ee Afrika Eye ayaa muuqaalo qarsoodi ah ka duubay macalimiin jaamacadeed oo faroxumeyn kula kacaya gabdho arday ah. pic.twitter.com/GGoTiEZMYF
— BBC News Somali (@BBCSomali) October 7, 2019
Skip to 2:20 minutes for Prof Gyampo’s part
By 3news.com|Ghana