Joseph Appiah, 25, Stephen Nimako Ansong, 24 and Dr Kwadwo Owusu Ayeh, a 58-year-old Senior Hall Tutor, have been jointly charged with conspiracy and 32 counts of defrauding by false pretences.

Appiah and Nimako have been additionally charged with abetment of criminal offence, namely corruption of and by public officer.

Dr Ayeh is also facing an additional charge of corruption by a public officer.

The three accused persons have pleaded not guilty.

The court presided over by Mr Isaac Addo has admitted them to bail in the sum of GH¢100,000 each, with a surety each.

The trial judge ordered the prosecution to comply with the rules of disclosures and adjourned the matter to July 30, 2024.

The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Jonas Lawer, told the court that the complainant, Professor Gordon Awandare, was a Pro Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Legon.

It said Appian and Ansong were level 400 students at the University and Dr Ayeh, a lecturer and Senior Hall Tutor of Dr Hilla Liman Hall at the same University.

Chief Inspector Lawer said on October 17, 2023, the complainant petitioned the Accra Regional Police Command to conduct investigations into alleged ongoing bed-selling at Dr Hilla Liman Hall of the University.

The prosecution told the court that the complainant alleged that some students and staff of the University were demanding and collecting money from students of the University under the pretext of allocating rooms and beds to students at the said hall.

The prosecutor said on October 18, 2023, a team of detectives from the Accra Regional Criminal Investigations Department led by a former Regional Crime Officer, Chief Superintendent Emmanuel Osei-Agbogah, visited the University of Ghana to commence with investigations into the matter.

During investigations, 32 students who fell victim to the scheme were identified and contacted, and they confirmed that Appiah and Ansong demanded and collected various sums of money ranging from GH¢2,000 and GH¢2,500 from them and assured them that beds and rooms would be allocated to them.

Appiah and Ansong were arrested and during interrogation, they admitted that they were engaged in an accommodation and bed selling deal with Dr Ayeh.

The prosecution said it was also discovered Dr Ayeh after assuming office conspired with Ansong to search for students in need of accommodation and beds at the Dr Hilla Liman Hall.

The prosecutor said Ansong also informed Appiah to look for prospective students.

The Court heard that the accused persons succeeded in collecting a total amount of GH₵106,800 from 32 students under the pretext of offering them accommodation and beds at Dr Hilla Liman hall, but failed.

The prosecution said Ansong had refunded GH¢30,000.

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The teaching assistant, Isaac Offei Aduamah, the first witness to be called by state prosecutors, was the embattled lecturer’s subordinate who worked under him.

Dr. Wilberforce Nkrumah Aggrey, who has been standing trial for kidnapping and deceit of a public officer, has been in custody since his arrest on October 6, 2021.

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In an account of events on August 30, 2021, the teaching assistant told the court the embattled lecturer had a dress-rehearsal with him on what he should tell police in his statement, something he declined.

In court on Thursday, May 12, 2022,  Isaac Offei Aduamah contradicted Dr. Aggrey’s earlier claims that he slept in his house with his children on the day his wife went missing last year.

According to the witness, he and two other teaching assistants whose name he gave as Michael and Ababio slept with the lecturer’s kids at their hostel on 30th August 2021, the day Mrs. Rhodaline Amoah-Darko, the wife of the lecturer disappeared.

It was not until the next day that they sent the kids to the lecturer’s house to prepare them for school that the lecturer showed them a snake he allegedly killed in a polythene bag.

Dr. Aggrey then went out with one of the teaching assistants, Ababio, to buy anti-snake repellant.

The witness told the court, Dr. Aggrey showed him a picture of the statement he and another teaching assistant had given to police when he returned from Accra to Kumasi to write his statement.

He added, the lecturer insisted he memorized the statement to avoid inconsistencies, something he ignored.

According to Isaac Aduamah, the first accused person after insisting on a mock statement, vetted a statement he authored and tried to influence his statement but he ignored and gave a statement according to how events unfolded.

The first accused, Dr. Wilberforce Nkrumah Aggrey, remained quiet and observed proceedings as he tried to look into the direction of his once teaching assistant who avoided eye contact with him.  

In cross-examination, lawyers for Dr. Wilberforce Aggrey insisted the witness’s statement was inaccurate and that it is not a true reflection of events.

The witness said he may have forgotten the sequence of events since he was overwhelmed.

The court adjourned the hearing to May 25, 2022.

Recall that Salaudeen, who is popularly known as Captain Walz, was arrested after he beat the lecturer to a coma last Thursday, November 11. 

Speaking to a team of University Campus journalists, UCJIIorin, the student said he assaulted the lecturer because she refused to help wave his mandatory SIWES scheme which he couldn’t do due to unforeseen circumstances. 

The student also claimed that he had a dream where he saw his Level Adviser plotting against him along with Mrs Zakariyau and other people. 

Before then, he claimed to have met her over the same issue numerous times, all of which had led to negative responses.

“Thursday was the day I had a lot on my mind and I went to her again,” said Waliu.

Mrs Zakariyau, however, did not give him a desirable response and had ordered him to leave her office.

“I got angry, I don’t know what came over me, I started arguing and she told me to leave her office if not, she will get angry. I told her if I am not going to leave the office, what is she going to do? Then she threw a mug at me which injured me and I started beating her.”

Waliu made it known that Mrs Zakariyau did not fight back as he knows she cannot fight him back so he went on to beat her and later dragged her out of her office to continue the beating.

“I dragged her out and she ran. I chased and kept beating her before people came. I tried to run but was later caught by the school security,” said Waliu.

The student claimed that months before the incident, he was arrested and locked up for two months in Lagos which warranted his inability to attend the SIWES.

Explaining his ordeal, Walz told the UCJ team that he had gone to Allen Avenue in Ikeja, Lagos State, to meet a friend for the first time. He was waiting for the friend when he felt the urge to urinate.

“I urinated near a car parked by drainage and challenged by one of the workers there. I was then accused of being a thief and was not allowed to explain myself before a mob descended,” he explained.

“I was severely beaten and handed over to the police which led to my detention for two months,” he explained. 

Waliu said after the whole unfortunate incident in Lagos, he approached Mrs Zakariyau to explain to her about the stress he has been going through but Mrs Zakariyau had told him there is no help to offer, except he joined the next set which would result in an extra year.

Prior to now, Waliu is said to have gone after his Level Adviser with the intent of “teaching him a lesson”.

He confirmed this, blaming a dream where he saw his LA plotting against him along with Mrs Zakariyau and other people.

“I was actually looking for my LA to challenge him and ask what are you plotting against me,” he added. 

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Adeleye Isaac, General Secretary of the Student Union said the Union was aware of the ugly incident, but they’ve not had the opportunity to meet the student due to his transfer to the F-division police unit, but Waliu has been returned back to the University security unit.

“The guy must have acted under the influence of drug, which their administration totally condemns such.” and used the medium to tell the student populace to say no to usage of harm and abuse drugs.

Meanwhile, Mrs Zakariyau has been discharged from the University clinic after receiving treatment.

Adewole, who was arraigned on charges bordering on criminal intimidation, sexual harassment, and examination malpractices, among others after his arrest by the State Intelligence Bureau, was accused of calling and threatening to fail a student if she refuses to sleep with him.

This reportedly occurred in September 2021, contrary to sections 397 and 95 of the Penal Code Law and Section 3(320) of the Examination Malpractices Act Cap. E15 Law of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and punishable under the same law.

The student was asked to play along by the police in order to obtain evidence. Kwara State Federation of International Women Lawyers (FIDA) which is also a party in the case said:

“The lecturer thereafter lured the student into his bedroom around 8.30 pm on Taoheed Road, Basin area, Ilorin, where he gave her a new question paper and answer script of KWASU to rewrite her exam with a promise to have sexual intercourse with her till daybreak.

“The suspect was, however, apprehended in the process by detectives from the SIB, who were hiding at a location.”

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Following Adewole’s “not guilty” plea to the charges, the prosecutor, Nasiru Yusuf who noted that sexual harassment had become rampant in institutions of higher learning in the country, asked the court to remand the lecturer in custody as the offences are not bailable.

Adewole’s counsel, A.J. Opalekunde pleaded with the court to grant him bail as he is innocent until found guilty by the court.

The magistrate, Ibrahim Mohammed granted the accused bail in the sum of N200,000 with a surety in like sum, before adjourning the case till December 8, 2021, for further mention.

The Lecturer, Francis Ayensu who is with All Nations University and Ghana Technology University was remanded last Thursday to reappear on April 26, 2021.

The accused person, Francis Ayensu, is the owner and Director of Freelance Investment Consult Ltd.

He, however, failed to pay his workers SSNIT contribution from January 2020 to August 2020 amounting to GHc 422.12 despite efforts made to get him to pay same.

He was served a criminal summons on December 14, 2020, but failed to appear in court.

He was communicated to on the next court date which he still ignored.

A bench warrant was issued for his arrest but the accused allegedly resisted and incited some youth to attack the arresting officer – Lance Corporal Nuhu and the Prosecuting officer Isaac Nana Yaw Mbatini.

He was later arrested and put before the court and was remanded to reappear on April 26, 2021.

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In a video sighted on Instablog9ja, some students were seen celebrating their lecturer as he heads to the hall.

Unknown to him, multitudes had gathered with their cameras on, ready to capture the special moment they had planned for his birthday.

Trumpeters could be seen serenading the lecturer who simply stood in shock, before waving in appreciation after the gesture dawned on him.

The uniformed students could be seen hailing their ‘good’ lecturer while some of the male students prostrated before him.

Video below:

A female student had alleged that the lecturer, a professor, had demanded sex in exchange for marks.

The University’s decision follows review of the report by a panel set up to investigate the allegations.

In October, the BBC’s Africa Eye investigative programme exposed sexual misconduct by lecturers at two top West African universities.

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The revelations in the “Sex for grades” documentary led to the suspension of some lecturers at both the University of Lagos in Nigeria and the University of Ghana.

A separate BBC Africa Eye investigation in December uncovered an illegal network that lured women to India from Africa, where they were then forced into sex work to satisfy the demands of the many African men living in Delhi.

According to Mr Kwamena Ahenakwa Quarshie, it has become a norm for institutions to resort to illegal strikes though not the right path but the only way to get the government to respond to the needs of the citizens.

Speaking on NewsFile on Joy News, Saturday, Mr Quarshie, said the commitment of the employer to let the employees have their salaries is in doubts and that was the issue the teachers were tackling.

“The point is that the employer who is supposed to prepare the data for them to pay us didn’t do the work. I admit the strike by the teachers was illegal but in this country, we use illegal strike to get things done,” he said.

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A lecturer at the Central University College, Dr Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah, has faulted politicians for the poor state of roads in the country.

According to him, the failure of the two prominent political parties in the country to give the needed attention to roads in the country has resulted in their deplorable state.

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He accused them of just living a luxurious lifestyle.

Speaking on Adom FM’s morning show Dwaso Nsem, Thursday, the lecturer argued that when funds are approved by Parliament to construct and fix roads in the country, public officials in both the previous and current governments fail to ensure the roads are properly constructed and maintained.

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“It is their work to ensure that monies approved for roads by Parliament are used for the intended purposes. These politicians fail to do follow up. They don’t even bother to crosscheck if indeed those monies have been released and for what purpose. I blame these politicians for all our bad roads, they should be responsible for contractors and the job they do on our roads,” he said.

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This comes shortly after Boniface Igbeneghu, who is also a pastor, was suspended by his church.

There has been an outcry on social media after a report by BBC’s Africa Eye revealed secret footage of Dr Igbeneghu propositioning and sexually harassing an undercover reporter, posing as a prospective student.

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The Foursquare church, where the lecturer was also a pastor, said in a statement it does not condone sexual misconduct, and has distanced itself from Dr Igbeneghu’s alleged behaviour.

The BBC report is part of a year-long investigation into sexual harassment by professors at the University of Lagos and the University of Ghana.

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The University of Lagos says it has a zero-tolerance policy toward sexual harassment, and it would dismiss any staff against whom evidence of wrongdoing was proven.

The University of Ghana categorically denies protecting any staff or students who have engaged in sexual harassment, and says it will investigate those named in the report.

Dr Igbeneghu has not commented on the video.

Source: BBC

A law lecturer at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), Alhassan Salifu Bawa wants the Member of Parliament (MPs) for Effutu Constituency to stop interfering in the affairs of the university.

Mr Bawa believes Mr Afenyo-Markin is unnecessarily poking his nose into things that do not concern him.

“It is sad that this is happening in this country. Almost all MPs have some kind of institutions in their constituencies but you don’t hear of them but Winneba is always in the news because of our MP. It is very sad,” he stated on Accra based Neat FM, monitored by Adomonline.com.

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According to him, he (Mr Afenyo-Markin) has taken the university to the Auditor-General where they have come for a special audit, but Mr Afenyo-Markin does not have the patience to wait for the audit report to be made public.

As if that is not enough, Mr Bawa could not fathom why the MP has rushed to the Special Prosecutor office to complain on the matter again.

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“Mr Afenyo-Markin is behaving as though he is the owner of the university. He doesn’t have patience, always running to institutions and making baseless allegations on lecturers in the school. If a university is in your constituency, it doesn’t mean it is for you and so he should leave it to operate and that is my problem with Mr Afenyo-Markin,” he stated.

Mr Afenyo-Markin has condemned Vice-Chancellor of the UEW, Rev. Afful-Broni for the “unlawful” dismissal of some lecturers and warned him to be mindful of events that led to the exit of the former Vice-Chancellor and be guided accordingly.

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Commenting on the issue, Mr Bawa observed that the “unnecessary” interference in the affairs of the institution by the Effutu lawmaker is the reason for the “disaster” in the school.

He said as a member of the governing New Patriotic Party, Mr Afenyo-Markin’s action is only making the government unpopular.

Source: Adomonline.com | Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy

A media researcher and lecturer at the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI), Kwaku Botchwey, has expressed disappointment at the quality of questions asked at the Presidential Media Encounter held at the Jubilee House Wednesday evening.

Mr Botchwey who was assessing the entire encounter between the president and selected journalists said the journalists present failed to ask thought-provoking questions.

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Speaking on Adom FM’s morning show “Dwaso Nsem” Thursday, the lecturer said the type of questions asked by the few journalists who had the opportunity were not “punchy” enough.

the encounter, he noted, is a topmost opportunity for Journalists to scrutinise the President on behalf of the citizenry on relevant national issues but the opportunity slipped by as most of the questions asked were inept.

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“I think most journalists didn’t do enough research and therefore didn’t ask punchy questions. In fact, they need to do more because we expect journalists to ask good questions because their questions will determine how the government is doing” he said,

On Wednesday, 20^th December 2018, President Akufo-Addo, hosted 111 journalists from various media organisations in Ghana for about an hour.

Of the 111 journalists present, only 14 had the opportunity to ask questions with many media analysts criticising the president for taking a chunk of the time available for his speech.

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In all, a total of 15 questions were asked at the encounter and Mr Bothcwey has described the performance levels of performance by journalists as very low.

Mr Terkper served as Finance Minister under the John Mahama administration from 2013 to January 2017.

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Seth Terkper, who has had many years of work experience with organisations such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the past, announced his new job on Twitter.

“I have just been appointed a part-time lecturer at the University of Ghana Business School. Looking forward to exciting interactions during my Public Policy lectures. In 2017, I did same as a Corporate Executive in residence at UGBS similar to a visiting lecturer.”

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Terkper under NDC 2 and 3

Seth Terkper served a Deputy Finance Minister when the late Prof J.E.A Mills was president. John Mahama then made him the Finance Minister in January 2013. He served in this capacity until the NDC lost the 2016 elections.

About Terkper

Seth Terkper is a chartered accountant. He holds a Masters Degree in Public Administration from the Kennedy School, Havard University.

He obtained his first degree in Business Communication from the University of Cape Coast in Ghana.

When he was the Deputy Minister of Finance, his work focused on the budget and medium-term expenditure framework (MTEF) and on revenue policy and administration.

Dr. Kobby Mensah, who is a marketing lecturer, claims the officer, Wilson Oku, in an apparent show of power, slapped him during a misunderstanding between him and some police personnel over parking duration at the Airport drop off zone.

The lecturer said he had gone to the airport at about 7:30pm to drop off a research colleague who was travelling to the United Kingdom. According to Dr. Mensah, he pulled over at the drop off zone at the airport and while he and his colleague were loading luggage on a trolley, one of the officers, Samuel Arthur, asked him to drive away claiming he had parked for 10 minutes.

“I responded to the officer that I haven’t been there for 10 minutes because we just arrived. He queried how long have I been there, and I responded within 5 minutes but not 10. The officer continued to claim the latter, and on my insistence I implored him not to exaggerate,” he narrated. He said Arthur who appeared infuriated, then called Oku over who then threatened to arrest him [the lecturer] if he did not move the car.

Dr Mensah told 3News that he told that he had not committed any offence to warrant an arrest, and went on to advise him “not to abuse his power by intimidating me”. “I further advised that we are all public servants and citizens of this country and must be accorded respect just as we accord the security agents the necessary courtesies,” he added.

After that, he said he entered his car but Oku continued to scream at him and “I asked him again to stop intimidating me and abusing his powers as he does not know who he is talking to, and that not everyone that he can abuse.

“This got Wilson Oku infuriated, by which time he had approached my car and stretched his hand to slap me. I then stopped the car and came out to challenge him why he did so. Immediately he had called for reinforcement, including one that seemed to me as his superior by name Joseph Nsoah,” he told 3News.

He said tried to draw Mr. Nsoah’s attention to the action of his men but he rather “joined his men, urging them on to shout that I move my car else they will arrest me. I eventually left the scene to my house as I was visibly shaking”.

Dr. Mensah said on the advice of a lawyer friend, he went to the Aiport Police Station to report the matter but was redirected to the Police post at the Airport. While he wants the IGP to sanction the three officers, he is also pleading that awareness is created among police personnel that no matter who a citizen is, in whatever status, they have every right to the highest dignity, protection and privacy.