BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
The Governing Council of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, on Tuesday, sacked one of its Senior lecturers, Dr. Adebayo Mosobalaje for sexually harrasing a female student of the institution.
Mosobolaje’s dismissal was contained in a release by the Public Relations Officer of the University, Abiodun Olarewaju.
It stated that the decision to dismiss Mosobalaje of the Department of English Language in the Faculty of Arts, was taken by the University Council at its last sitting on Monday 7th September, 2021.
Recall that the management had dismissed one of its lecturers, Prof. Richard Akindele, over sexual harassment of a student. Following the leaked audio recording which exposed Akindele, seeking sex from a female student for a pass in an examination, the Professor of Accounting at the time, was sacked by the university and then sentenced to 24 months in prison after litigation.
In this latest-sexual harassment, Mosobolaje, who was a Senior Lecturer at the Department, allegedly requested a date with one of his female students, Rachael Momoh, before he could supervise and grade her project work.
The student was said to have visited Mosobalaje’s office for further instructions on her final year project work, but the lecturer allegedly requested a date with her. It was gathered that sometimes in 2017, the female student had recorded her conversations with the randy lecturer before she reportedly submitted them at the university’s gender unit as evidence of the allegation of sexual harassment and misconduct.
Rising from its sitting on report of the Joint Committee of Council and Senate, which investigated the case of sexual harassment against Dr Mosobalaje, the university’s Governing Council found the lecturer guilty of the allegation and dismissed him.
The release reads, “In its avowed determination to rid the University of any form of sexual intimidation, harassment and, or coercion, Dr Adebayo Mosobalaje, who was found guilty of sexual demeanor against a female student has been dismissed.
“Having exhaustively deliberated on the report of the Joint Committee of Council and Senate, which investigated the case of sexual harassment against Dr Mosobalaje, the University Council, unambiguously declared its zero tolerance to sexual harassment in any form or guise and, accordingly, applied the appropriate University sanctions for such an offence as contained in the University regulation.
It would be recalled that almost two weeks ago, the University Management formally inaugurated an “anti – sexual harassment policy” where their excellencies, Erelu Bisi Fayemi (the wife of Ekiti State Governor) and Alhaja Kafayat Oyetola (the wife of Osun State Governor) presented papers while a former Vice Chancellor of Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, Professor Yemisi Obilade was the main speaker.
“At several fora, the 1Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede, has reiterated the commitment of his administration to uphold the “Zero tolerance policy” for Sexual harassment and other social vices. The Council of University Chaired by Owelle Oscar Udoji has also pledged to support policies that promote mutual co existence between all the members of the University Community.”
