The authorities of the Obafemi Awolowo University say the institution’s Governing Council will decide the fate of a professor of Yoruba Incantations and Stylistics, Joseph Opefeyitimi.

Mr Opefeyitimi was accused of attempted rape and battery of a female student.

The school disclosed that a committee had recommended appropriate disciplinary actions against the lecturer.

A statement by OAU’s spokesman Abiodun Olarewaju on Wednesday explained that Boluwatife Bababunmi of the Department of Linguistics and African Languages wrote a petition against Mr Opefeyitimi.

“The committee, which also sat and clinically deliberated on this same matter, recommended appropriate disciplinary actions against Prof Ayo Opefeyitimi to the university management,” the institution’s statement revealed.

It added, “The university administration would have to present its recommendations to the Governing Council, which has the final say on the matter, considering the status of the staff involved.”

After receiving the petition, the institution explained that a departmental committee sat on the matter, and Mr Opefeyitimi “was found prima facie liable.” 

Meanwhile, three other lecturers in the university have been given the boot for sexually harassing students.

“As a mark of its zero-tolerance for sexual harassment, the present university management has summarily dismissed three lecturers who had committed similar sexual offences,” said the school. “The first lecturer to be dismissed was from the Department of Management and Accounting, while the second one was from the Department of English Language.”

According to the university’s spokesman, the third lecturer, “who was given his letter of dismissal last month, was teaching in the department of International Relations.” 

“We also pledged to continue to protect our students, particularly the female ones, against any sexual predator, no matter how highly placed,” said Mr Olarewaju.

(NAN)