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A Senior Lecturer at the Political Science University of Ghana, has alleged that politicians have started contracting some of the students of the University to act as ‘spies’ for them at lecture halls.

Dr. Ransford Yaw Gyampoh speaking on Adom FM’s Super Weekend News Saturday said these students have as part of their duties being told to record lectures and send to the politicians.

“Some students have been contracted to come and record lectures and send to the likes of Kwadwo Twum Boafo and other politicians but they must know that University of Ghana has academic freedom…,” he said.

Dr. Ransford Gyampoh who is also a research fellow at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) made this revelation while commenting on an allegation by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ghana Free Zones Board (GFZB) that he accused the current Education Minister of leaking questions to President Mahama during the 2012 IEA debate.

According to Kwadwo Twum Boafo, Dr. Gyampoh further said during one of his Political Science Lectures that Prof Opoku Agyemang’s appointment to head the Education Ministry was a reward for the act.

“One of their researchers, standing in a classroom in Legon, a so-called Political Science Lecturer and telling children that the current Education Minister, Prof Naana Opoku Agyemang…got an appointment as a minister because she had leaked debate questions to President Mahama and that is the height of insult.

“Ransford Gyampoh has the balls to go and stand in a classroom and say she was appointed minister simply because she leaked questions to President Mahama,” the GFZB CEO alleged on Accra-based Radio Gold.

But this allegation, Dr. Gyampoh said was unfounded as according to him, Kwadwo Twum Boafo is not a student of the University and hence never heard the details of his lectures.

He further said that Kwadwo Twum Boafo was deliberately peddling untruth as a means of ‘cowing me into submission but this would not wash’.

He further called on parents to advice their wards to abstain from such ‘contracts’ since the University operates within the framework of academic freedom.

“I am advising parents to warn their kids from being used by politicians, some politicians have contracted some of the students…while in class, some of the students whatsapp in class…when I investigated, I realized that some of them have been contracted by politicians like Kwadwo Twum Boafo to always come to class and whatsapp instead of listening to the lecture…,” he said.

Dr. Gyampoh further added that this attitude has had a negative toll on the academic performance of some of the students which was disturbing.