One of the lecturers implicated in the BBC Africa Eye uncover investigation dubbed ‘sex for grade’ Prof Ransford Edward Yaw Gyampo accused his mentee of always being formal with him and talks about nothing but work.

In the BBC documentary on academic institutions facing allegations of sexual harassment by lecturers, the Political Science Professor was seen in a compromising scene with the BBC undercover reporter who posed as a student of University of Ghana, Legon (UG).

According to the report, Prof Gyampo called the reporter on a Sunday afternoon and began to tease her for being formal around him and always wanting to talk about work.

He remarked, “formal, formal, formal, formal…you want to talk about work work, nothing else ‘esa bo dientse’…who is not married and doesn’t want a decent lady who is also caring…who wouldn’t want…?”

Prof Gyampo in the documentary wanted to visit the reporter but she managed to persuade him to meet at the mall where he was caught on camera making “numerous inappropriate demands.”

The Head of European Studies at the University of Ghana at the mall insisted on buying the reporter shoes. “I told you we are buying two, so let me buy…one for school, one for outing…” he said. Then the Professor asked the reporter “Have you ever been kissed violently before?”



The reporter later had to agree in order to avoid his violently kissed question.

“Stop pushing yourself away because you are going to be my wife,” Prof Gyampo said, after buying the two shoes for the reporter.

The vociferous professor later advised his mentee whom he had proposed marriage to be sleeping more often so that he can grow fat for him.

“Sleep and grow fat for me so that when I hold you, it shouldn’t be as if I’ve hurt you…pick up the phone and tell mummy that ‘someone says he wants to marry me after school…he will push you to do national service…he will push you to do masters…I’ll grab you and kiss you here and by the time I release you, you’ll see all the shyness gone…” he stressed.

After excerpts of the documentary were released by the British broadcaster, Prof Gyampo vehemently denied having an affair with a female student.

He described the whole undercover investigation as an entrapment masterminded by certain unscrupulous people, with the aid of BBC Africa Eye against him.

He added “I have a lot to say about this matter. But I am suing the BBC for defamation, so I will keep some of the facts to myself for now. Let me state, however, that I have not involved myself in the BBC's so-called sex for grades and will never do so. Their own video documentary evidence could not establish this. I am aware of my University's Sexual Harassment Policy and I have always adhered to its dogmas.”

About 'Sex for grades'

'Sex for grades' is a BBC Africa Eye undercover investigation into some academic institutions in West Africa which increasingly have been faced with allegations of sexual harassment by lecturers. This type of abuse is said to be endemic, but it’s almost never proven.

After gathering dozens of testimonies, BBC Africa Eye sent undercover journalists posing as students inside University of Lagos and University of Ghana.

Female reporters were sexually harassed, propositioned and put under pressure by senior lecturers at the institutions while these supposed students wore secret cameras.

Undercover reporter Kiki Mordi, who knows first-hand how devastating sexual harassment can be, reveals what happens behind closed doors at some of the region’s most prestigious universities.

Watch the full video below