Former president Jerry John Rawlings has refuted reports by the Ghanaian Chronicle and other media houses that he had said one of his daughters was a victim of ‘sex for grades’.
A press release by his Communications Director, Kobina Andoh Amoakwa, dismissed the front-page headline of the paper captioned “My daughter was a victim of “Sex for Grade” “is a false and distorted rendition of what transpired.”
Mr Rawlings at a meeting with the National Executive of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) on Thursday extensively criticised the scourge of the sex for grades.
He urged higher institutions of learning to use external examiners to stem incidents of sex for grades.
The former president said many brilliant students, particularly girls who refuse to succumb to their lecturers’ sexual demands end up “getting unfair deals” in their results.
Ghana’s longest-serving head of state said it was sad that students who are not academically good but give in to such lecturers often get good grades.
His comment follows BBC African Eye exposé at the University of Ghana and University of Lagos (Unilag) in Nigerian, which implicated some lecturers sexually harassing students.
“For the avoidance of doubt, he was very clear and adamant in clarifying that fact. It is irresponsible and bad journalism that the Chronicle chose to publish utter fabrications,” the release said.
Quoting him Mr Rawlings verbatim, “he stated at the onset of the mention of his daughter that, “Actually I must admit that this thing has happened to one of my daughters before. It wasn’t to do with sex.”’
The former president said they “the reportage of the Chronicle as false, derogatory and an attempt to draw nonexistent inferences which are calculated to embarrass the former President and his family.”
Below is the statement:
RAWLINGS’ DAUGHTER NOT VICTIM OF ‘SEX FOR GRADES’
The attention of the office of former President Jerry John Rawlings has been drawn to a publication in the Ghanaian Chronicle of Friday, November 1, 2019, which has received wide circulation in electronic and other media.
The frontpage headline of the story captioned “My daughter was a victim of “Sex for Grade” is a false and distorted rendition of what transpired when the National Executive of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) called on President Rawlings on Thursday, October 31, 2019.
While the former President spoke extensively about the scourge of the sex for grades issue, it must be noted that he never stated that his daughter was a victim of said misbehaviour. For the avoidance of doubt, he was very clear and adamant in clarifying that fact. It is irresponsible and bad journalism that the Chronicle chose to publish utter fabrications.
Quoting him verbatim, former President Rawlings stated at the onset of the mention of his daughter that, “Actually I must admit that this thing has happened to one of my daughters before. It wasn’t to do with sex.”
We find the reportage of the Chronicle as false, derogatory and an attempt to draw non-existent inferences which are calculated to embarrass the former President and his family. The report is also an attempt to mislead members of the public into believing this fabrication.
We wish to caution all media houses who have carried that report to respectfully retract and remove such publications from their mediums.
Signed
Kobina Andoh Amoakwa
(Communications Directorate)
Source: Myjoyonline.com
