A private citizen, Perpetual L Akwadaa, has formally petitioned President John Dramani Mahama, urging him to dismiss the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority, Prof Ransford Gyampo.

In a petition dated February 19, 2026, and sighted by GhanaWeb, Akwadaa called on the President to withdraw Prof Gyampo’s appointment, citing his alleged involvement in the BBC Africa Eye's Sex-for-Grades Documentary.

She maintained that appointing Prof Gyampo to head a state institution compromises the credibility of public office and projects a negative message regarding the protection and dignity of women.

“In February 2025, Your Excellency appointed Prof Gyampo as the CEO of the Ghana Shippers Authority. This appointment raised significant commentary about propriety stemming from Prof Gyampo's involvement in a sexual harassment scandal that shocked the conscience of this nation.

“Admittedly, the core mandate of the Shippers Authority is commerce-facing, and maybe the Government did not consider how appointing someone of Prof Gyampo's profile may adversely affect other sectors of our holistic development drive. However, appointing a person publicly associated with sexual harassment allegations to a position of influence sends a harmful signal to the vulnerable that, in Ghana, power shields misconduct. Notably, it discourages reporting, emboldens abusers, and undermines years of progress towards gender equality and safe schools and workplaces,” she wrote.

Akwadaa further contended that removing Prof Gyampo from office would demonstrate that individuals linked to sexual harassment allegations should not occupy positions of authority in the public sector.

She argued that such action would reinforce Ghana’s stated commitment to safeguarding women and girls, particularly under the 2025 Code of Conduct, which outlaws sexual harassment by public officials.

The BBC documentary, released in October 2019, formed part of an undercover investigation that spanned a year, during which four lecturers were secretly recorded. Journalists posed as prospective students to uncover alleged sexual misconduct at the University of Ghana and the University of Lagos.

Prof Gyampo and his colleague, Dr Paul Kwame Butakor, were subsequently cleared of wrongdoing by the University of Ghana following internal investigations into the matter.

Read the petition below:

The University of Ghana (UG) has suspended Professor Ransford Gyampo and Dr Paul Butakor for six months and four months respectively for their roles in a sexual harassment scandal which hit the university in October 2019.

The suspensions which are without pay take effect from January 1, 2020.

"In addition, Prof Gyampo and Dr Butakor are required to undergo appropriate training on the University of Ghana's Sexual Harassment and Misconduct Policy as well as the Code of Conduct for Academic Staff of the University of Ghana," a press statement signed and issued by the Director of Public Affairs of UG, Stella A Amoa on Monday [February 17, 2020] said.

"They will be required to receive a positive assessment after the training before resumption of their duties. They are also required to undergo annual assessment for a period of 5 years," the statement added.

It said a Fact-Finding Committee chaired by Justice Vida Akoto-Bamfo, a retired Supreme Court Judge, which investigated allegations of misconduct against Prof Gyampo and Dr Butakor found that they had contravened the Code of Conduct for Academic Senior Members.

The Committee that looked into the case according to the statement recommended that the case be referred to the Disciplinary Committee for Senior Members which proferred the sanctions against the pair.

"Management has accepted the recommendations of the Senior Members' Disciplinary Committee and has informed Prof. Gyampo and Dr Butakor accordingly", the release stressed.

The statement further assured stakeholders that any acts of misconduct, sexual harassment or any other form of harassment will not be tolerated among students and employees of the university.

Background

Prof Gyampo and Dr Butakor were accused of soliciting sex in order to extend some advantages to female students in a documentary by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

In the documentary produced by the BBC Africa Eye and published on Monday, October 7, 2019, the BBC reported that it has uncovered sexual harassment at the University of Lagos and the University of Ghana.

The BBC sent female undercover reporters to the campuses of the two universities where it reported that they were sexually harassed, propositioned and put under pressure by senior lecturers – all the while wearing secret cameras.

Following that, the two lecturers were interdicted by the university.

Below is a copy of the statement from the University of Ghana on the suspension;