978
The Executive Director of Alliance For Social Equity And Public Accountability (ASEPA)has written to the Authorities of University of Ghana to reinstate Prof.Gyampo and Dr.Butako and then Persue legal action against the BBC Africa eye for Unlawful Invasion into the university and also causing external interference. In a statement copied to Broadcastergh.com yesterday,it was indicated that”I write officially to your outfit in my capacity as the Executive Director of ASEPA to bring to your attention and the attention of the University Council and the entire leadership of the University some injustices meted out to two Ghanaian Citizens who are also members of the University of Ghana because of a supposed expose by BBC Africa Eye dubbed “SEX FOR GRADES”. Sir two days after the airing of the supposed expose, the University of Ghana interdicted Prof. Ransford Gyampo and Dr. Butakor and referred the matter to a fact finding Committee. On the 20th November, 2019 the Public Affairs directorate released a statement stating that some prima facie evidence of misconduct, had been established by the fact finding Committee and as such the matter has been referred to the Disciplinary Committee of the University for further action. Sir, according to our checks, the fact finding committee did not find the allegation of sex for grades against these two lecturers to be true, but the University failed to explicitly communicate that to the public in that release and this is very worrying because by allowing the notion of “SEX FOR GRADES” to stick on the University, the University ends up causing reputational injuries to its staffs, lecturers, students and all holders of University of Ghana Certificates and this cannot be allowed to happen just because the University wants to please the BBC Africa and its allies. Respectfully, if prima facie evidence of misconduct were found against these lecturers during fact finding Committee, then on what basis were these two lecturers interdicted earlier, on mere allegations?Sir, without any shred of malice, I kindly refer you to a similar allegations which were made against your good self by the CEO of Africa Integras, Ms. Andrea Pizziconi, should the University have taken steps to interdict or sanction you just on the basis of those allegations, without calling for evidence from the accuser, cross examine the evidence and give you a fair hearing?And considering that you cannot punish an offender twice for the same offense, hasn’t Prof. Gyampo and Dr. Butakor already served their punishment through their earlier interdiction?(when the University decided to interdict them before giving them a fair hearing which is a breach of Natural Justice) Secondly sir, the fact finding Committee invited BBC Eye and the lady used in the investigations to testify during their hearing, but the BBC Eye with no iota of respect for our Premier University failed to show up or send further evidence (especially the raw footage) to assist the Committee in establishing the allegations made against these two honorable members of the University, so why is the University of Ghana still pursuing this matter? Because the onus of proof lies on the accuser, if BBC Eye is accusing these two lecturers of “SEX FOR GRADES” the onus lies on them to prove their allegations and the evidence cross examined as part of the determination of the matter.Again as an academic institution, the University will usually call on its students who have written a paper or research to defend their work, during which they are passed through all sort of scrutiny before allowing the paper to pass as a research. Sir, respectfully apart from the BBC Eye disrespecting the authorities of the University of Ghana, they have also violated the Sovereignty of this Nation and interfered in the Internal Affairs of the University of Ghana and critical action must be taken against the BBC Africa Eye so that we do not encourage such activities of foreign agencies who do not serve the interest of Ghana but that of their imperialist bosses invading our local institutions in the name of “undercover investigations” Can a journalist from Ghana, carry his cameras, travel all the way to Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Manchester etc, to film an investigation, without the knowledge and authorization of the University and telecast it on TV across the world to ridicule the name of the University in such a global manner?The defamation suit you will be hit with within hours after airing that supposed expose (they can sell your whole family and you won’t be able to pay for it).Is the University of Ghana saying anybody can invade the campus (without their knowledge and authorization, attend lectures and other formal university functions in the name of undercover investigations? Sir, I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that these two lecturers Prof. Gyampo and Dr. Butakor are “VICTIMS” of foreign interference in our Country and the University and not offenders and they deserve the support of Ghanaians and the support of the University and not victimization. We cannot unduly victimize our own because of a foreign media who do not have the guts to appear before a fact finding Committee and defend their own work and the University must take legal actions against BBC Africa Eye and claim damages for all the needless harm it has caused to its reputation.We cannot victimize our own who have worked so hard and contributed immensely to the growth of the University, when what we actually need to do is to rally together and fight the intruder, who only came to sniff non-existing evidence in a desperate desire to weaken the global reputation of the University of Ghana. We cannot sit down and watch on whiles such grave injustice is perpetuated against fellow Ghanaians Citizens just because it is BBC, is the BBC Africa Eye infallible? As the Chief Disciplinarian of the University, It is our hope that you dismiss this case, reinstate Prof. Gyampo and Dr. Butakor and take steps to pursue BBC Africa Eye for gross violations, unlawful invasion and for defaming the image of the University. Failure to do so may constitute a tacit complicity on the part of the University in weakening the potency and credibility of the University Ghana Certificate and that may be a justifiable reason to initiate legal action against the University. It is our fervent hope that this letter finds you well. Signed: Mensah ThompsonExecutive Director, ASEPAInfo.thompson.live @gmail.com0542120628 Cc.The Pro Vice ChancellorThe Provost, College of HumanitiesThe RegistrarSource:Broadcastergh.com/Ayisah Foster
