By Austin Ogwuda
Back in the olden days, 60’s, 70’s, any lecturer whether adorning flowing ‘agbada’ or wearing T-shirt and trousers, walks tall with aura that announces the presence of a brain power.
So also the students who passed through them decades ago. Unarguably, the academic standard was not only high but untainted with less scandals.
It wasn’t that there was no infractions regarding cheating but very minimal until this cankerworm sex for mark crept into the academic community with Professors messing up with their female students, some, much younger than their (lecturers) children.
What a shame!
We started hearing ugly stories of how bad eggs among the lecturers mark examination papers in hotels in company of the female students who wrote the papers.
This cancerous misbehaviour gradually gained currency in years thereafter till date to the extent that even female Law students from the University of Calabar (UNICAL) openly staged demonstrations with placards saying unprintable words about a particular lecturer, repeatedly accused of sexual harassment, incidentally is a Dean.
There are also cases of harassments on the part of the female lecturers. Although the number is neither not much as compared to that of their male counterparts nor probably not reported.
“The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria contains the fundamental human rights of all persons in Nigeria.
These rights are sacred and must be respected by all persons. In most cases of sexual harassment, the fundamental human rights of victims are threatened and violated.
Specifically, the right to dignity of human person (Section 34) and the right to freedom from discrimination (Section 42).The list of fundamental human rights that may be violated by sexual harassment is endless. This is the meeting point, where sexual harassment is also a violation of fundamental human rights and consequently a breach of the Constitution of Nigeria.
As expected, the Constitution has adequate compensation for any violation of fundamental human rights and a clear procedure for seek enforcement. This is the first and the most powerful legal instrument in Nigeria that directly or indirectly condemns sexual harassment and other forms of sexual violence.
The National Industrial Court (NIC) has affirmed this position in the case of Ejike Maduka vs Microsoft, stating that sexual harassment in workplace) could be gender-based discrimination and an abuse of right to dignity of human person”. (Source: Adekunle Obele, Joseph Onele and Ozioma Agu, “Curbing Sexual Harassment: Lessons From Microsoft”.
Above, clearly points to the fact that the act of sexual harassment is a violation of the dignity of the victim as well as offends the Constitution.
I don’t want to bore you with the necessary punishments attached if proven.Few of these randy lecturers have either been jailed, dismissed, yet, the growing trend continues.
… The UNICAL debacle
On Thursday, this week, the Investigative Committee set up to look into the alleged sexual harassment accusations leveled against one Professor Cyril O. Ndifo, Dean, Faculty of Law of the University of Calabar submitted its Report to the Minister of Education.
Curiously, what caught the attention of this Reporter was the handling of the allegations.
To ensure justice and proof to the world that the University had nothing to cover, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof. Florence Banku Obi said that “the University has followed all due processes in handling the matter, including the suspension of the suspect, appropriate queries, and the setting up of a disciplinary committee to hear all parties.
“In order to ensure a very high degree of transparency, the Vice-Chancellor, the Public Complaint Commission, the Nigeria Bar Association, the Federation of Female Lawyers, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, the Chief Judge of the Student’s Union High Court, as well as seven civil society organizations, were brought on board the Committee as observers”.
Kudos to the UNICAL VC.
By broadening the probe Panel to include all those relevant and concerned stakeholders she mentioned clearly showed that there would be no cover up as these outside bodies won’t allow any compromise.
Well, the law says nobody should be considered guilty until proven.Therefore, The Town Hall Media is not going to join to rubbish the character of the Professor involved until the outcome of the Panel report.
But my concern is that since transparency has been introduced from the outset let the final outcome be made public also.Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman upon receipt of the report seriously warned the academia that the Ministry would deal decisively with anyone caught engaging in any form of sexual harassment.
The warning was contained in a press statement by the Director Press and Public Relations of the Federal Ministry of Education, Mr Bem Goong.
According to the statement, “the Minister said sexual harassment was a serious criminal offence that must be dealt with decisively, when and wherever it occurs, adding that the Federal Ministry of Education will do everything humanly possible to curb the ugly tide in the nation’s institutions of higher learning.
“Tahir noted that the offence of sexual harassment was cancerous and must be eliminated at all costs, adding that all hands must be on deck to tackle the menace in Nigeria’s educational system.
“Professor Mamman maintained that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is out to protect the vulnerable groups within the country’s educational system.
“While reiterating that he will evoke the long arm of the law to ensure that perpetrators are adequately punished, the Minister added that no one will be allowed to take advantage of the vulnerable groups.
“The Minister disclosed that sexual offenses units will be established in the Ministry and all institutions of higher learning to deal with the menace”, the statement added.
Well said, Mr. Minister. Another take away from the Minister’s charge or call it, the riot act is the proposed setting up of Sexual Offences Units in all tertiary institutions across the country as well as the Ministry to deal with the menace.
The Town Hall Media joins the honourable Minister of Education in this crusade in trying to clean the Augean stable.
All hands should be on deck to restore the dignity of academia as used to be, restore confidence to the effect that whatever certificate is issued by the Universities and other tertiary institutions can proudly be defended by the recipient.
