The alleged sex scandal rocking the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, has underscored the moral decadence in Nigeria’s higher institutions, especially the universities in recent times, where sex-for-mark has almost become a norm rather than an aberration.
The trending recorded audio conversation, which has gone viral on the Internet, involved a senior academic staff of the university negotiating sex-for-mark with a female student. Following preliminary investigation on the matter, the authorities of the university have suspended the lecturer for allegedly demanding sex from a postgraduate student. According to the Vice chancellor of the university, Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede, the committee set up by the university to investigate the allegation has established a prima facie case against the lecturer.
The Vice Chancellor also explained that because of the gravity of the offence and the breach of code of conduct of the university, the authorities of the university suspended the lecturer pending the final determination of the disciplinary case against him. The OAU branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has expressed satisfaction with the suspension of the lecturer involved in the sex scandal.
The union has also commended the management of the university for the prompt action taken on the recommendations of the investigative panel. The local ASUU reiterated its commitment to defend the integrity of the code of conduct of the university and uphold its ethical standards.
Good enough, the female student, who accused the lecturer of demanding sex from her to upgrade her mark, has appeared before the committee set up by the university to investigate the scandal and stood by her claims. She told the panel that she did not score 33 per cent as alleged, but was failed by the lecturer so that she could bow to his sexual demand.
We condemn all forms of sexual harassment prevalent in our universities and call on the universities to rise to the challenge and sanction all erring lecturers. Apart from being immoral, sexual harassment is inimical to women’s education. It also demeans the worth of women and treats them as sexual objects. Moreover, sexual harassment is a threat to womanhood. We, therefore, urge the Federal Government and the National Universities Commission (NUC) to come up with stiffer sanctions against erring lecturers.
Ordinarily and rightly, too, the relationship between male lecturers and their female students should not be defined by immoral sexual indulgences. The lecturers should serve as mentors and role models to all students, including the female ones. Besides, sex-for-mark dealings vitiate the main objective of university education.
It also degrades the worth of university degrees and certificates. The Ile-Ife case is not isolated. It is one out of so many others in various higher institutions in the country. Unfortunately, most of the cases are unreported for fear of further victimisation of the affected female students.
Without doubt, we need laws that will criminalise all forms of sexual harassment in our higher institutions. Perhaps, the “Sexual Harassment in Tertiary Education Institution: Prohibition Bill, 2016” sponsored by Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, which prescribes stiffer sanctions against offending lecturers and currently before the National Assembly should be given accelerated hearing and passed into law to save the female students from randy lecturers.
We commend the authorities of OAU for investigating the matter and urge them to ensure that justice is done on the matter. The case should be expeditiously treated and ensure that all parties to the case get fair hearing. On no account should this case be swept under the carpet like others before it.
We call on other higher institutions in the country to emulate the Ile-Ife example by investigating such sexual harassment cases in their schools. It is by doing so that such cases of sexual harassment in higher institutions can be curbed.