News
ASUU, NANS, Rights Groups Clash At Senate Over Sexual Harassment Bill
There was a sharp disagreement, yesterday, between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and other women rights advocacy groups at a one-day public hearing on a bill seeking to stop sexual abuse of female students in the nation’s tertiary Institutions.
The bill, christened: The proposed legislation titled, “A Bill for an Act to Prevent, Prohibit and Redress Sexual Harassment of Students in Tertiary Educational Institutions and for other matters connected therewith 2019”, sponsored by Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, APC, Delta Central, was co-sponsored by 105 other senators.
The bill which scaled second reading 6th November, 2019, with 27 clauses, proposes up to 14 years jail term, with a minimum of five years, without an option of fine for any educator who commits sexual offences in tertiary institutions.
The bill defines sexual offences as including: sexual intercourse with a student or demands for sex from a student or a prospective student or intimidating or creating a hostile or offensive environment for the student by soliciting for sex or making sexual advances.
Other forms of sexual harassment identified in the bill are grabbing, hugging, kissing, rubbing, stroking, touching, pinching the breasts or hair or lips or hips or buttocks or any other sensual part of the body of a student; or sending by hand or courier or electronic or any other means naked or sexually explicit pictures or videos or sex related objects to a student, and whistling or winking at a student or screaming, exclaiming, joking or making sexually complimentary or uncomplimentary remarks about a student’s physique or stalking a student.
It would be recalled that the bill was sponsored during the 8th Senate by Senator Ovie Omo- Agege.
Also, recall that six months after it was introduced on the floor of the Senate, the bill that sought to, among others, stop sexual abuse of female students in the nation’s tertiary institutions was passed Thursday, October 27, 2016 by the Red Chamber.
At the public hearing organised by the Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, All Progressives Congress, APC, Ekiti Central led Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, ASUU vehemently rejected the bill, saying that when passed, it would amount to “proliferation” and “repetition” of legislation to make a separate law to check sexual harassment in tertiary institutions.
On the other hand, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and other women rights advocacy groups supported the bill, stressing that the bill would help curb the incidence of sexual harassment in the nation’s Ivory Tower and other higher institutions of learning.
The National President of ASUU, Prof Abiodun Ogunyemi, in his presentation before the committee at the public hearing said that there were already existing laws that can be inadequately amended and strengthened and at the end of the say, nip in the bud, the alarming cases of sexual harassment in tertiary institutions.
Ogunyemi, who told the committee that though the university lecturers were not in support of sexual harassment of students by the same lecturers whom the students are under their tutelage, but was buttressing his position with the fact that universities already have mechanisms put in place to handle such cases when the occur.
The ASUU president, who warned against what he described as demonizing or stigmatizing lecturers, said that it would lead to a complete loss of faith in the nation’s institutions, and therefore, promote ignorance in the country, adding that the government never waited for the Sexual Harassment Bill to be passed into law before Prof Richard Akindele of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) accused of the offence was prosecuted and sentenced to jail.
Ogunyemi said: “I am not sure this is not the best of times for academics. If we go the way we are going, very soon nobody would be proud of his or her former teacher. We shall all discredit our teachers and by so doing, we shall also degrade the value and integrity of our certificates.
“Does ASUU support sexual harassment? No, ASUU does not support sexual harassment in any form.
“Are there other problems in the universities that warrant being given immediate attention, I am sure many of us will mention corruption.
“Maybe very soon we will come back to say let’s have a law that focuses on corruption in the universities. Are there laws that address this problem we are concerned with? I think the answer is yes.
“Are there no laws that would address this same problem we are concerned. I think the answer is yes. We have the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act of 2015.
“What does it take to review that Act to ensure that it covers our news areas of concern? That is the poser that we are placing before this Distinguished Senate.
“If we have a law that addresses issues related to this problem of sexual harassment, why are we wasting time talking about another law?
“Are we also going to formulate another law to address corruption in the universities?
“Are we going to formulate another law to address sexual harassment in the policemen in the National Assembly?
“We have a law, the universities autonomy law of 2007, legislated by the National Assembly already made provisions for us to address all of these. We talk of the institutional procedures; these procedures are irreconcilable with prosecution.
“There are aspects that are criminal; immediately such instance happens, we know where to go. Universities are currently handling problems like this and we should not agree with you, we should not discredit our custodians of knowledge.”
On his part, the National President of NANS, who was represented by the Director Research, Strategy, Planning and Documentation, Victor Essien, explained that the power dynamics between students and lecturers predisposes female students to incessant sexual harassment.
According to NANS, a committee set up by the present national executive of the students’ body on assumption of office has so far received over 2,000 complaints of sexual harassment of female students by lecturers, just as he described sexual harassment in tertiary institutions as an epidemic in the form of the Corona Virus Disease (Covid 19) in China.
On their parts, the Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA), International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Deputy Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Felicia Bassey, Chairman, Nsit Atai Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Hon. Emem Ibanga, among others, supported the bill.
In his remarks while declaring open the public hearing, President of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan, who noted that sexual harassment and intimidation was not just a sexual offence but a criminal offence, said that there was need for stakeholders to fashion new resolutions and sanctions to check the menace if the extant laws were not tight enough, adding, “As citizens we must have a common responsibility to fight the menace.”
On his part, Chairman of the committee, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, explained that parliament exist in the world to continuously make new laws and amend existing ones.
The Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board (RSUBE) has trained 1,000 newly recruited teachers with a view to raising standards in public primary and junior secondary schools in the state.
The two-day orientation and capacity building programme held in Port Harcourt introduced the teachers to civil service rules, classroom management practices, and professional conduct expected of educators in the state.
The State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Peters Nwagor, told the newly recruited teachers that teaching demands more than academic qualifications, and called for discipline, diligence, and a strong commitment to service.
He described teaching as a noble profession that is central to the development of the state.
The recruitment, he said, reflects the government’s investment in children and long-term development.
“Education is the foundation of societal progress, and basic education is where that foundation is laid,” Nwagor stated.
He urged the teachers to shape the values and character of pupils during their most formative years.
He pledged continued support from the Ministry of Education through training, resources, and an environment that allows teachers to perform effectively.
Nwagor directed RSUBEB to reject transfer requests from rural to urban schools, saying the newly employed teachers have an obligation to serve where they are posted and help strengthen education in those communities.
In his opening remarks, the RSUBEB Chairman, Hon. Sam Oge, explained that the recruitment process began in 2023 under the previous board, adding that after assuming office, he consulted widely and secured Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s approval to complete the exercise.
Oge said the selection was competitive, with 1,000 candidates chosen from more than 5,000 applicants, and urged the teachers to treat the opportunity seriously and avoid lobbying for reposting.
He directed the teachers to resume at their assigned schools immediately, saying request for reposting will not be entertained.
The former RSUBEB Chairman, Ven. Dr. Fyneface Akah, who delivered the keynote address, described the orientation as the teachers’ formal entry into the civil service.
He urged them to be creative, purposeful, and open to learning on the job.
Akah stressed that teachers have a role in restoring values lost to moral decline, and urged them to model national values and see their work as a calling with lasting impact on the society.
He thanked the State Government for approving the recruitment, noting that the exercise will improve access to quality basic education across the State.
Akujobi Amadi
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that no fewer than 1.4 million members of the National Youth Service Corps will be deployed for the 2027 general elections.
The Chairman of the commission, Prof Joash Amupitan (SAN), made this known on Monday during a courtesy visit to the Director-General of the NYSC, Brig Gen Olakunle Nafiu, at the Yakubu Gowon House, headquarters of the scheme, in Abuja.
Amupitan, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser, Adedayo Oketola, described the meeting with the NYSC senior management team as more than a formal courtesy visit, saying it was also a mission of gratitude.
According to him, the NYSC remains a critical pillar in Nigeria’s democratic process.
He noted that corps members had participated in virtually every election cycle since 1999, stressing that, “INEC cannot conduct elections in Nigeria without the NYSC.
“As the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, I am honoured to discuss our collaborative efforts toward ensuring seamless and credible elections in Nigeria.
“You provide the heartbeat of our field operations. When we speak of election manpower, we are essentially speaking of corps members.
“They are the most dedicated, educated and patriotic election duty staff we have, and their presence at polling units brings a level of neutrality and public confidence that is irreplaceable.
“They form the backbone of our election processes, especially as ad hoc staff, whose dedication, discipline and patriotism are critical to the success of our elections,” he added.
Amupitan said institutional data from the 2023 general election showed the importance of the partnership between INEC and the NYSC.
He explained that INEC deployed about 1.2 million ad hoc staff for the 2023 elections, with over 70 per cent, nearly 850,000 personnel drawn from corps members and student volunteers.
Speaking on preparations for the 2027 elections, the INEC chairman said more than 1.4 million ad hoc staff would be engaged, with corps members making up the majority.
“For the 2027 general election, we will require 707,384 ad hoc staff for the Presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027.
“The same number will be needed for the governorship and Houses of Assembly elections on February 6, 2027, making a total of 1,414,768,” he said.
He added that INEC would also require 52,446 corps members for the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections, as well as by-elections in Nasarawa, Enugu, Rivers, Ondo, Kebbi and Kano states.
Amupitan said corps members accounted for nearly 90 per cent of Registration Area Officers and Presiding Officers in many states during previous elections.
“These young Nigerians did not just facilitate voting; they protected the sanctity of the ballot in 176,846 polling units across some of the most difficult terrains in the country,” he said.
He further praised the corps members for their role in off-cycle elections, particularly the Anambra governorship election and the FCT Area Council polls.
According to him, their digital proficiency contributed significantly to the seamless operation of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System.
“In those exercises, it was the digital proficiency of corps members that ensured the seamless performance of our BVAS, proving they are the tech-savvy backbone of our modern democracy,” he added.
Amupitan acknowledged the sacrifices made by corps members during elections and assured that INEC would continue to work with the NYSC and security agencies to strengthen safety measures and welfare packages for them.
As the 2027 general election approaches, we are committed to ensuring adequate mobilisation and preparedness of NYSC members for this important national assignment,” he said.
He also noted that the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections, scheduled for June 20 and August 15, respectively, alongside several by-elections, would serve as tests for innovations ahead of the 2027 elections.
Responding, Brig. Gen. Nafiu thanked INEC for its continued collaboration with the scheme.
He recalled that the Memorandum of Understanding between both organisations was signed in 2011 and had been periodically renewed.
Nafiu described corps members as credible, reliable and easily trainable manpower.
“The last batch of millennials will soon exit the scheme, leaving behind Gen Z corps members known for their digital savviness, which will benefit INEC,” he said.
He assured the commission of the NYSC’s continued support in both the 2027 general elections and upcoming off-cycle elections.
-
Featured2 days agoWASSCE: RSG Distributes Science Materials To Secondary Schools
-
News2 days ago
Xenophobic Attacks: Nigerian Lives More Important Than Foreign Investment – Oshiomhole
-
Rivers2 days ago
MBA Forex Trial Adjourn To June 3, Amid Bereavement … As Court Declines Cost Application
-
News2 days ago
ActionAid Demands Probe Of Govs Using Public Funds For Campaign
-
Aviation2 days ago
Passengers Stranded As Delta Airline From Atlanta Route Back Eight Hours After
-
Business2 days ago
Customs Impound N2.35bn Cocaine, 15 Trailers of Rice
-
Politics2 days ago
2027: Bayelsa Senator Gets Critical Endorsement For Second Term
-
Politics2 days agoINEC Sets Rivers South-East Senatorial By-Election For June 20