The suspension of Desen Mbachaga, a lecturer at the Theatre and Media Arts Department of Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, has caused controversy among students and staff of the institution.

The university management had announced the suspension of Mbachaga over alleged sexual harassment.

Foluso Ogunmodede, the Chief Information Officer to the Vice-Chancellor, said the associate professor was suspended on the grounds of evidence of sexual harassment established against him by a panel set up by the institution’s Faculty of Arts.

“The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Abayomi Fasina, has set up a five-member committee to further probe the allegation with a view to getting to the root of the allegation of sexual harassment against the embattled lecturer,” Ogunmodede said.

“The VC, who has zero tolerance for indiscipline and any form of sexual harassment against students of the institution, has consequently approved the suspension of Dr Mbachaga to allow for proper investigation of the matter.

“Besides, the VC has also mandated the Dean, Faculty of Arts, Prof Tajudeen Opoola, to conduct a proper investigation into another allegation of sexual harassment against another lecturer in the same department and submit the report in due time for necessary action.”

However, sources in the institution have revealed to FIJ that the suspension of Mbachaga is a “typical example of selective justice”.

FIJ understands that the university management is overlooking many other cases of sexual harassments involving lecturers loyal to the Vice-Chancellor.

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“The lecturer suspended is just one of many lecturers which the school management has refused to probe. Dr Mbachaga is only being probed because he’s not on the side of the VC,” the source said.

However, Ogunmodede denied the allegation, saying that he is not aware that some lecturers are overlooked. He said people are entitled to their opinions about the decision of the management.