The Nation Newspaper

Tag: harassment

  • Niger East: APC alleges harassment by PDP thugs

    Niger East: APC alleges harassment by PDP thugs

    All Progressives Congress (APC) in Niger State has alleged that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is using thugs to harass its members ahead of the August 30 Niger East by-election.

    State Publicity Secretary Jonathan Vatsa yesterday in Minna, cited attacks on the party’s Legal adviser Khaleal Ibrahim on Saturday by alleged agents of PDP, at Paiko.

    Vatsa said the thugs attacked and dispossessed Ibrahim of his mobile phone and stole his money.

    The APC chieftain said some of its members from Rafi local government area were on Wednesday waylaid by thugs, who inflicted injuries on them.

    He said: “We can’t be intimidated because I said the APC does not have confidence in the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC).

    “We accused the REC of collecting money from the state and the government agreed it  released N28 million to the committee set up by INEC, chaired by the REC.’’

    Vatsa said “intimidating APC members cannot deter the party because the party has a good candidate in David Umaru, we also know that as they did in other places, they will want to use the military to intimidate us,  but the people will resist intimidation.”

  • Businessman petitions IGP for alleged harassment

    An Aba businessman, Chief Ugwumbe Okafor, has petitioned the Inspector- General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Abubakar over alleged harassment and unprofessional conduct by CSP Friday Freedom of the General Investigating Section of the Force CID, Abuja.

    In a petition by his lawyer, Emeka Nnaji, dated December 20, Okafor alleged that Freedom, stormed his home at 196, Port Harcourt Road, Aba, Abia State, accompanied by other officers to arrest him for an offence he said he never committed.

    The petitioner alleged that the other officers, obeying Freedom’s instruction, climbed the fence and broke into his home after breaking the glasses, doors and windows.

    He alleged that Freedom and his men ransacked his home and in the process, his gold wristwatch valued at N350, 000 and N800, 000 belonging to his church got missing.

    The lawyer said: “Freedom, in a war-like disposition, went to our client’s home and without seeing the man, he instructed his men to climb the fence and break into his home, which they did.

    “Our client’s vital documents were removed although he and his family were not at home. This action can be likened to daylight robbery.”

    Okafor appealed to the IGP to intervene and investigate the alleged unprofessional action of Freedom.

    Contacted on his mobile phone, the police officer denied the allegation. He declined further comments.

  • Ondo workers accuse official of harassment

    Some workers in the Ondo State Development and Property Corporation (OSDPC) yesterday alleged a threat to their careers at the State Civil Service.

    They urged Governor Olusegun Mimiko to assist them.

    The workers accused an OSDPC director of depriving about 11 workers promotions. They alleged that the director had been harassing the workers, adding that he only gave those he liked the opportunities to be promoted.

    The aggrieved workers are: Mr. K. Paul, Mr. Osanife, Mr. I.F Julius, Mr. J. Mathew, Mr. J. Akerele, Mrs. R.O Ayegunle, Mrs. R.O Ajayi, Mrs. O. Folarin, Mrs. E.O Olaniyi-Afere, Mr. Afalusi and Mrs. O. Adeniran.

    Speaking with The Nation in Akure, the state capital, OSDPC Union Chairman Comrade Jones Akinrolayo alleged that the director had formed a cabal of unscrupulous officers working against the interest of the staff and the progress of the corporation.

    He said: “He is in the habit of denying some officers promotion to favour those who do not qualify but who are his friends.”

    When contacted on phone, the director said he could not speak on the allegations because, as a civil servant, he is not permitted to talk to the media.

  • ICPC uncovers sexual harassment, 49 other corrupt practices in varsities

    ICPC uncovers sexual harassment, 49 other corrupt practices in varsities

    The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, yesterday said sexual harassment tops more than 50 corrupt practices identified in Nigerian universities.

    He also said operators of more than 20 illegal universities in the country will soon be arrested and prosecuted.

    Nta spoke at a briefing in Abuja at the presentation of a pilot study on the ongoing ICPC comprehensive Systems Study and Review of Nigerian Universities, being done in collaboration with the National Universities Commission (NUC).

    The Study Review panel, headed by NUC’s former Executive Secretary, Prof. Peter Okebukola, also had a commissioner in ICPC, Prof. Olu Aina as one of the members.

    Nta listed over 50 corrupt practices being perpetuated in the universities.

    Some of the corrupt practices are non-adherence to the carrying capacity of the National Universities Commission (NUC); non-adherence to rules and regulations guiding admission; political interference in the admission process of the University; inadequate funding which encourages Universities to engage in over enrolment of students in order to generate IGR to run the Institution; lack of proper monitoring and the absence of punitive measures taken against the University by NUC; sale of examination questions and other examination-related information; gratification and inducement to manipulate award of marks/grades; swapping of grades; writing of examination by proxy; direct cheating in examination; and delay in the release of results

    Others are delay of students from graduating due to poor record keeping and deliberate victimisation by officials; manipulation of internal examination processes; delay in take-off of lectures and non-completion of syllabus by lecturers; non-adherence to students/lecturer ratio results in over-crowding of classes; lack of commitment to work by the lecturers; continued defiance by institutions of the ban on satellite programmes/campuses by NUC

    The list also includes frequent strike action by staff and students interrupting the academic calendar; sales of lecture notes, hand-outs and text-books; non-provision of adequate and appropriate practical apparatus; late opening and early closing of library

    Stealing and mutilation of library books; inadequate/irrelevant (outdated) textbooks; inadequate reading tables and chairs; corruption in the allocation of official bed spaces in student hostels by the managers; influencing of allocation by students engaging in gratification and bribery of staff; sale of examination questions and other examination-related information

    The ICPC chairman said: “Sexual harassment seems to rank extremely very high among corrupt practices uncovered in our universities. Our report is based on the quantum of petitions we have received on this corrupt practice. We are emphasising this because sexual harassment has to do with the immediate challenge we need to address.

    “We have uncovered many corrupt practices in our universities.

    “You will be surprised to find out that even the allocation of space has become a racket in some universities we have looked into.”

    Nta spoke on what informed how ICPC and NUC decided to go for the system review

    He said: “Based on intelligence, petitions, complaints and public comments against the University system in Nigeria , ICPC invoked its statutory mandate derived from Section 6 (b-d) of its enabling law to undertake a comprehensive Systems Study and Review of Nigerian Universities. Systems’ Study and Review is one of the activities of the Commission designed to actualize the preventive mandate of the Commission.

    “The University Systems Study and Review is a fact-finding and problem-solving strategy that involves the examination of current policies, practices, procedures, behaviours and systems of public bodies to determine if they aid corruption and to what extent they are prone to do so.

    “The report of such exercise is expected to be reviewed with the institution/agency involved for implementation.