The management of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, has suspended a lecturer in the Department of Chinese Studies, Prof. Ifeanyi Odinye, for three months and placed him on half salary over alleged sexual misconduct and contravention of the university’s General and Academic Regulations.
In a press statement issued on Monday and signed by the institution’s Director, Information and Public Relations, Aloysius Attah, the university, however, deferred consideration of the allegation of sexual harassment against the lecturer, saying further investigations were required to establish the facts.
The decisions followed the interim report of a six-member Special Investigative Panel set up by the university to investigate allegations arising from an incident involving staff and students of the Department of Chinese Studies.
The panel, chaired by the Provost of the College of Postgraduate Studies, Prof. Emmanuel Obidimma, submitted its preliminary report to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ugochukwu Bond Stanley Anyaehie, on Friday.
Recall that the alleged sexual misconduct was brought to the attention of the school management after a viral video surfaced online two weeks ago, in which some students of the institution were seen physically assaulting and rough-handling the lecturer on the school premises after he was caught allegedly molesting a female student.
