The wife of former Vice-President, Mrs. Titi Atiku has called on the Federal Government to end the menace of sex-for-marks affecting female students across higher institutions.
She called on members of the public to end the stigmatisation of girls who are victims of different forms of abuse in tertiary institutions.
Mrs Atiku made the call during the 2022 Queen of Nigerian Institutions Beauty Pageant in Abuja for students in tertiary institutions.
Mrs Atiku, who is the President of the Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation in Nigeria (WOTCLEF), appealed to students’ unions to support female students to speak out on the scourge of sex-for-marks, while equally protecting them from suspected lecturers.
She said: “It is very disheartening to see and know how much our female students are harassed in universities. Ladies need to learn to speak out and they cannot do this alone unless and until they get the support of fellow students who are males and union leaders to support them against these randy lecturers.
“Most importantly, our girls need to dress properly, they need to mind the way they dress.”
Deborah Omale, the keynote speaker, blamed some victims of the scourge for their woes, saying the sex-for-marks issue was triggered by lobbying for grades and quest for societal status by some female students.
Omale also blamed the quest to catch up with trends of society and needless financial pressure as factors responsible for some female students offering their bodies for marks.
“Sometimes, advantages are taken of these female students just because they ask for one or other financial assistance from the lecturers. A lot of these issues on sex-for-marks start with the ladies themselves. Most times they see themselves lobbying, they want to be financially independent through the wrong means.
“Many of them travel out of school campus to sleep with other men across other states to display wealth on campus through latest phones, wears and others. So, they don’t have time to read nor sit for tests or even exams, and in turn, they are willing and ready to offer their body for marks,” she said.
She called on the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) to work with unions of female students across campuses to end the menace of sex-for-grades in universities.
Nollywood actor, Rita Edochie said the programme was instituted to crown a queen of Nigerian institutions who will stand up as a beacon of hope and voice to the voiceless in universities across Nigeria.
The Convener of the project, Mbanefo Xender said the 2022 Queen of the institutions beauty pageant was organised to fight against the sexual exploitation of vulnerable young ladies in higher institutions.