Unic Press UK: Judge Maureen Onyekenu of the Federal High Court, Osogbo, has passed a prison sentence on a former lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo Univeristy, Ile Ife, Nigeria, Professor Richard Akindele, for demanding sex in exchange for marks.
In her ruling, Judge Onyekenu agreed with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) that Professor Akindele had contravened Section 8 (1) (a) (ii), and Section 18 (d) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
Akindele has faced scathing opprobrium after a recorded phone conversation in which he could be heard demanding to sleep with a female postgraduate student over a 5-day period as a condition for awarding marks/upgrading her score from 33 (fail) to 40 emerged in several social media platform.
The prison sentence will run concurrently. So Mr Akindele would spend only 2 years in prison.
Prior to being convicted, the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) authorities had suspended Professor Akindele on April 2018 as stated in a statement from the Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede, which reads:
“In the interim report submitted to the Vice Chancellor, Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede, Professor Richard I. Akindele, of the Department of Management and Accounting, is now established to be the lecturer in the controversial “marks for sex” audio recording. The female voice has also been identified as that of Miss Monica Osetobe Osagie, a Postgraduate Student on the Master of Business Administration Regular programme… The Vice-Chancellor, having carefully and dispassionately considered the report, also came to the conclusion that a prima facie case of serious misconduct had been established. Having regard to the gravity of the offence for which Professor Richard I. Akindele is found to be prima facie liable, the Vice-Chancellor, in line with the Code of Conduct for the University Community and acting under all the laws and regulations of the University enabling him in that regard, has directed that Professor Richard I. Akindele be suspended forthwith from the University, pending the final determination of the disciplinary case against him.“
