Chisom Echehieuka denies demanding sex in exchange for service, apologizes for misconduct

The founder of Code Hub Africa, Chisom Echehieuka has apologised for his misconduct after he was called out on Twitter for making advances towards a lady who applied for a scholarship in his academy.

In a series of tweets, Chisom apologised for his actions and also denied having ever demanded sex in exchange for his services.

“I’m broken at the events I have caused. I’m deeply sorry because this hurts me that I messed up as a husband, friend, creator and leader. I deeply regret my actions and take full responsibility for these actions. Forgive me,” he said in a series of tweets.

Background

Code Hub Africa is a high-level training and mentorship program for complete beginners and tech enthusiasts to get a much-needed boost into the tech ecosystem.

Last month, Chisom took to Twitter to solicit funds to teach Nigerian youths how to code from popular artist Don Jazzy. Don Jazzy is known for his giveaways and it was no surprise when he agreed to sponsor the program with the sum of N1.5m.

Upon sending the funds, Don Jazzy requested that only serious students should be selected. DafriBank, a digital bank also sponsored the program with N1.5m and thus, 200 youths were set to be onboarded to the training program. Interested participants had to send a one-minute long video citing why they wanted to be a part of the program and then they were randomly selected. Those who tagged Don Jazzy to the founder’s earlier tweet were also randomly selected.

Allegations

Yesterday, a Twitter user, @olives_ima made a series of tweets suggesting that a tech expert made amorous advances towards her. Following her tweet, speculations began making the rounds as to the identity of the person she was referring to. She refused to name the person as the party involved was scared.

I think it’s incredibly sick that you’ll come on Twitter to give young women scholarships to learn tech skills in your school and then enter their DMs to talk sexually and try to sleep with them

— Squirting clam (@olives_ima) November 16, 2021

this guy is so notorious with this thing that a couple of people already identified him even before I mentioned his name. All i said is that he runs a training school in Lagos. pic.twitter.com/ksbkaP2Yvp

— Moe (@Mochievous) November 17, 2021

Things came to a head today when Mochievous, a tech lawyer identified Chisom as the culprit in the tweet earlier made. This allegation was backed with evidence from the chat he had with the applicant of the Code Hub Africa program.

Permission to call out granted. @chizom_ can you please explain why you are propositioning sex to a 22 year old woman who simply reached out for more details on the tech scholarship offered by your school @CHAfrica_Tech?

— Moe (@Mochievous) November 17, 2021

A number of other people have come out to say that Chisom has been unprofessional with them in the past.

This idiot tried the same thing with my girlfriend just some 3 days ago.

He uses "tech" to lure girls into his DMs and proposes "private training" in his office https://t.co/1KjCah6fvV

— 🏄🏾‍♂️ Derrick (@software_artist) November 17, 2021

Twitter erupted in opinions, most condemning Chizom’s unprofessionalism and his infidelity as he is a married man.

Behaviors like these are very bad sha. That guy got a massive monetary support from Don Jazzy and lot of publicity from Twitter folks for his Tech Coding school. But see how he messed it up with sexual demands with a beneficiary.

— Adewale Adetona (@iSlimfit) November 17, 2021

From giving out scholarships to getting funding from Don Jazzy. Now he just destroyed himself by proposing sex to a 22 y/o woman on 8pm curfew. My thoughts & prayers are with his wife cos this is not something anyone should associate with. Hmmmmm, give a Man power & see wonders.

— 𝘼. 𝙄. 𝙈. 👨🏽‍🚀 𓃵  (@AimThaMachine_) November 17, 2021

Others have called for a refund and asked that the money be given to a more deserving organisation.

Jazzy should ask for refund abeg. Make all the people wey e don enroll go another school, he prob does this a lot. Change in conversation was too fast for it not to be a norm.

— kay (@Nosablaq) November 17, 2021

Best thing for that chap to do is to refund Don Jazzy's money, apologise publicly, avoid this app for some time, whilst trying to make it up at home. For his own sake and sanity.

— Tope Oke (@teepenn44) November 17, 2021

Chisom responds to allegations of sexual predation

But the Founder and CEO has denied the allegations of sexual predation, insisting that he has never demanded sex in exchange for his tech services. He describes such information as false.

It will be interesting to see how this will play out. Sexual scandals are becoming a concern in the tech community. Last year, the CEO of a popular internet service provider was accused of sexual harrassment by a mentee at a tech program.

There is an exisiting gender gap in spaces that are considered to be male-dominated and the tech space is no different. Now that a lot more women are looking to get into the tech space, there is the fear of harassment, such as this and that makes it even more difficult.

This is the latest scandal to rock the tech community after Future Africa was called out for intellectual theft, an allegation that was thoroughly refuted.