•Urges stakeholders on vaccination
Tony Osauzo, Benin
Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has saluted Miss Monica Osagie, for her courage in the ongoing investigation of the alleged sexual harassment by Prof. Richard Akindele, in a sex-for-marks scandal.
The governor urged the university authorities to ensure painstaking and thorough investigation of Osagie’s allegation and serve justice without fear or favour.
“Osagie’s uncommon bravery at a time many female students have come to accept sexual harassment as a norm in our educational institutions, is worth commending.
“Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) ranks high in moral standard and educational excellence in the country, and I urge the university authorities to rise to the occasion and defend its hard-earned reputation. Justice should not only be done, but, must be seen to have been done,” he said.
Obaseki said the world is watching the university closely, to see the way the case will be handled, adding that his administration is equally interested in the matter, as Osagie hails from Ohordua, Esan South East Local Government of Edo State.
Osagie, a student in the Masters of Business programme, told an investigative panel set up by the university that Akindele deliberately failed her because she refused his sexual demand.
Akindele has since been suspended by the university authorities after the report of the university’s investigative committee indicted him.
Meanwhile, Obaseki has called on stakeholders to intensify efforts to ensure children are vaccinated to protect them from ailments and diseases which deprive them of a healthy and fulfilling life.
Obaseki, who said this in commemoration of the Africa Vaccination Week celebrated every last week in April, said the call became necessary due to the growing importance of vaccination of children to stem infant mortality and safeguard their future.
“We’ve recorded modest success in the state’s immunisation campaign due to a reward system that saw each local government jostle to get every child at the ward level take the vaccine. The state-wide campaign was adjudged successful by the in-country teams of our donors and we are happy to be setting the pace.
“We will not relent in this campaign. Already, the local government chairmen have picked the baton from us and are aggressively pursuing the immunisation campaign with renewed vigour,” he said.