The Vice Chancellor (VC) of the Accra Technical University (ATU), Professor Samuel Nii Odai, has advised students to report any lecturer who might harass them to engage in ‘sex for grades.’
According to him, the school authorities do not condone sexual harassment and were ready to apply the whip if lecturers flouted the laws.
Speaking at a matriculation ceremony held for 7,000 students admitted by the University for the 2019/2020 academic year in Accra on Friday, the VC noted that sex for grades infringed on the right of students.
He, therefore, urged them to report incidents of that sort to their various heads of department and Students Representative Council (SRC) executives.
“This year the SRC has teamed up with management to provide inscriptions and stickers that reads ATU is against sexual harassment and that you do not have to suffer in silence, because you have a voice,” he said.
Prof. Odai stated that the act does not compel students to learn in their various endeavours and also underscored the need for students to obey the school rules and regulations by not attempting to seduce lecturers.
He charged students to embrace good moral values, adding that “learn hard and do not indulge in illegal activities like occultism, prostitution, premarital sex and unnecessary relationships on campus.”
Prof. Odai observed that those activities would obstruct them from their core mandate of studying, hence could lead to unwanted pregnancies and contracting sexual transmitted diseases.
He promised management’s commitment to provide necessary facilities to enhance teaching and learning, stressing that “the university council has instituted policies that would provide 25 per cent rebate on fees of students who would do their national service at the school to undertake their BTech top-up.”
In boosting movement of non-hostellers, Prof. Odai announced that the school has partnered Ayalolo to convey them to their various destinations in Accra, Tema, Kasoa, Madina and Adentan.
Mr Adu Adjei-Mensah, the Acting Registrar at the university, who swore-in the students called on them to tolerate and accept each other irrespective of their religious background.
He encouraged them to balance their spiritual, social and academic life and promised the lecturers’ readiness to provide them with adequate training.
That, he said would enable them to succeed in their future career and urged them to desist from examination malpractices.
BY JOYCELINE NATALLY CUDJOE
