Dismissed EKSU lecturer maintains innocence on sexual harassment, sues students
A lecturer dismissed by the management of the Ekiti State University (EKSU), Mr Olola Aduwo, over an allegation of sexual harassment against a female student of the university, has denied he ever admitted to the offence before any panel.
Aduwo, in a release he gave to journalists yesterday, accused the panel set up to investigate the allegation of sexually harassing a female student of the university levelled against him of bias and a calculated attempt to discredit his image and bring his reputation into disrepute.
The former lecturer expressed his disappointment that “a notable university like EKSU will descend so low to the level of character assassination and palpable falsehood.”
Aduwo declared, “The proceedings at the trial were video-recorded and a copy of the video clip is with the university. I challenge the university to produce a copy of the video clip and show where I admitted committing the alleged offence.”
The EKSU Governing Council had on Thursday December 5, 2019 approved the recommendations of the senior disciplinary committee that recommended Aduwo’s dismissal from the service of the university.
But the former lecturer, punching a hole in the circular that contained the news of his dismissal, noted, “It was boldly written that I admitted to the allegations and confirmed the authenticity of the report indicting me on the alleged case of sexual harassment.
“I want to state abundantly clear that at no point in time during my appearance before the panel did I confirm that I’m guilty, or did I admit to the allegations of sexual harassment against my person.
“In the initial press statement made by the university, it falsely stated that I lured the said lady to a hotel where the alleged sexual harassment took place, whereas it was the said lady that burst into my house with the police and some miscreants when I was with a friend to frame me up.”
According to him, all the investigations made by the university pointed to the fact that he wasn’t culpable nor did he ever harass or intimidate any student at any time in all his service years in the university as a lecturer.
Aduwo declared the decision of the University Council and the management as not acceptable to him, and that he had contacted his legal team to challenge his “unjust dismissal” from the university.
“I’m very sure that I will get justice and bring my accusers to shame. In fact, I have sued the students at the centre of this gross violation of my fundamental rights and they will be brought to book,” he stated.