Sex for grades won't be tolerated: KTU Vice-Chancellor warns matriculants
The Vice-Chancellor of the Koforidua Technical University (KTU), Professor David Kofi Essumang, has cautioned newly admitted students on the issue of sex for grades at the 26th matriculation ceremony.
Addressing the matriculants last Saturday, he warned that management of the school frowned on sex for grades and any form of harassment by either lecturers or students and would ruthlessly deal with anyone who would be caught in the act.
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He stated that issues of sex for grades could happen in institutions of higher learning, adding that he was alerting the new entrants about such unscrupulous acts and its penalty, as well as channels to use in reporting such issues.
"We need to alert these new students that certain things can happen. Issues of sex for grades, we do not permit it. We don't allow that; whether a lecturer or a student. We are alerting them so that they know where to seek redress when it happens. We have suggestion boxes all over; if you can't come and inform me personally, just write and put it into the suggestion box and it would get to my attention. Any lecturer or student caught in these acts will be sacked if found guilty.
“If you are a student or whoever and you want to do that, stay home and do that. Don't come here and disturb anybody and bring the school's name into disrepute. Sex for grades won't be tolerated here," he cautioned.
Admitted students
On the number of newly admitted students into various programmes, the Vice-Chancellor remarked that "the university received applications for admission from 4,243 applicants. Out of this number, a total of 4,014 applicants were offered admission to pursue various programmes”.
At the close of registration, 2,854 students had registered as fresh students of the Koforidua Technical University and out of the number, 1,767 of them are males while the remaining 1,087 are females.
The 26th matriculation ceremony was on the theme "Industrialisation for self-reliance: the impact of technical universities".
Industrialisation
Professor Essumang expressed worry over the unemployment situation in the country, saying technical and vocational skills had proven to be the answer to the menace.
He said it would be a surprise to see persons with vocational skills lining up to be employed by government or other businesses, explaining that the technical and vocational skills rather equipped students with the required skills to make them self-employed or a needed hand on the job market.
The Vice-Chancellor added that very strategic job fields such as oil and gas had over the years been dominated by expatriates, but technical skills were being taught in the technical universities would position our students to take over from them.
"When you look at our oil and gas sector, it is dominated by expatriates. Here, we teach people very strategic courses such as wielding, a very important aspect of the oil and gas industry. Hopefully, some time to come, these locally trained persons from our technical universities will take over from them," he said.
Assurance
The Student Representative Council (SRC) President of KTU, Prince Sosu Asante, assured the students of the support of the SRC.
"We want to assure all the students that we exist because of them and we will do anything to serve their interest. On the issue of sex for grades, there are rumours everywhere but with the commitment of the school's management in weeding out persons engaged in such acts if caught, we also assure the students of the same commitment in helping them preserve themselves against such incidents," he said.