Many tertiary institutions have anti-sexual harassment policies. But the effectiveness of these policies have not been tested because many cases go unreported. Kofoworola Belo-Osagie, Adegunle Olugbamila, Jane Chijioke, Yusuf Idegu (Jos), Ndidi Okodili (Owerri) and Bisi Oladele report.
The committee looking into the sex- for-mark scandal at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, is expected to submit its report this week. The scandal was blown open when an audio recording of a telephone conversation between Prof Richard Akindele of the Department of Management and Accounting, and a yet-to-be-identified student seeking better grades in his course went viral on the social media.
OAU Vice Chancellor Prof Eyitope Ogunbodede has promised to deal with the matter in line with the institution’s anti-sexual harassment policy.
In a statement last week, he described sexual harassment as a serious misconduct that is “totally and morally reprehensible” , which the university would never condone whether the offender is a staff member or student.
The Nation gathered that many institutions have policies that frown at sexual harassment. But their effectiveness is a different matter.
The Federal University, Oye Ekiti (FUOYE) Vice-Chancellor, Prof Kayode Soremekun, told The Nation that there was no room for sexual harassment in his school.
“Like any other university, Federal University Oye Ekiti has a clear-cut policy on the issue. And it is one of zero tolerance for such an anti-academic act. If a lecturer is caught in such an act, he will face a disciplinary panel and justice will take its course. Similarly, if the student is the culpable party, he/she will be made to face the rigours of our statutory provisions,” he said.
When asked about what students should do if they are faced with sexual harassment, Soremekun said: “The subsisting reporting line is such that the student has various options. He/she can report to the head of department who will, in turn, take up the issue with other indices of the hierarchy. Another option is for the student to report to other bodies like Servicom, the Dean Students’ Affairs and, lastly, but certainly not the least, executive members of the Students’ Union.”
The position of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) is not different. Its Public Relations Officer (PRO), Dr. Chike Ezenwa, said the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Francis Eze, did not take kindly to any act that flouted the values of the university.
His words: “The VC has absolute zero tolerance for any action that suggests sexual harassment or sorting. The administration of the vice chancellor is hinged on the mantra, ‘driving the Culture of Excellence’.
“The university does not take lightly to any case of sex-for-mark or any other practice that runs contrary to the values of the university. Those that were involved in such act in the past were summarily dealt with and there has never been any such case ever after.”
Mr Niyi Oduwole, PRO, Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, said sexual harassment rarely occured in the institution.
He said students had direct access to the vice chancellor and were encouraged to send text messages to his mobile phone without mentioning their names.
“We have a Staff Ethics Committee in which erring staff face with respect to any infractions.This university has its own rules and regulations. Issues, such as this (sexual harassment) rarely happens in OOU; but if it occurs, such lecturer or administrative staff would be investigated and, if found guilty, would most likely be dismissed,” he said.
Lagos State University Vice Chancellor Prof Lanre Fagbohun said the university’s whistle-blowing policy protects students who wish to report sexual harassment.
“The university has a whistle-blowing policy in place that encourages students to speak up whenever there is an abuse. Students are able to make reports to the deans of their faculties. We encouraged whistle- blowing because we believe it is one way we can get information from students. When we get information, we go after it quietly. And if you observe, disciplinary process has been very strict and we shall continue along that line. Our students are still open to engage with us from time to time,” he said.
At the Plateau State University (PLASU), Bokkos, sexual harassment is treated under examination malpractice, said the PRO, Mr John Agbams.
“The university has two standing committees, that is Exams Malpractice Committee and Disciplinary Committee. Sexual harassment during exams is treated as exams malpractices. It is a practice in the university that after each exam, the exams malpractices called on all the faculties to submit report of malpractices recorded. The reports are collated and thoroughly investigated,” he said.
At the University of Jos, any lecturer caught harassing students for sex is sent packing.
However, despite the elaborate rules and code of conduct of many tertiary institutions against sexual harassment, not many cases are reported because the level of reporting is low – by students and lecturers.
For instance, PLASU PRO said since the university’s inception in 2005, no case of sexual harassment had been reported by students.
“In the history of the university, there has been no reported case of lecturers demanding sex for marks or a case of students offering sex to influence her grade,” Agbams said.
In the past three years, the Gender Mainstreaming Office (GMO) of the University of Ibadan, set up to handle sexual harassment related issues has handled 30, most of which its head, Prof Stella Odebode, said were non-sex related.
Many students, who spoke with The Nation, said they did not report harassment for fear of victimisation. They argued that sexual harassment was more rampant than the institutions like to admit.
Yewande Solarin, a 300-Level Law student of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), said students do not trust those they have to report to.
“Most times students are forced to get evidence to prove their point, if at all they voice out. When they do, what level of protection does she get in return from school? Because obviously, lecturers would want to deal with that student. In the long run, it will tell on her result and might even delay her graduation.
“Secondly, if a student should report such cases, how morally upright is the lecturer she is reporting it to? The truth is that, some lecturers feel they are above students, so they leverage that to victimise students,” she said.
Another student simply called Amoke said she was unaware of her school’s sexual harassment policy.
“I do not know if there is any policy on sexual issues in this school. If at all there is, how feasible is it? Because since I came into this school, I have heard countless sexual cases. My roommate once told me that almost all the girls in her class had resorted in one way or the other to do the bidding of their lecturers. These lecturers know definitely there is a law against sexual harassment and they know how to play their game and that is why it is not effective, most especially when they have your matric number,” she said.
An OOU graduate, names withheld, expressed shock when told sexual harassment was a rare occurrence in her alma mater.
“That is not true. My eldest sister was a victim of sexual harassment at OOU. Her lecturer told her and her friend that they would never pass his course if they did not sleep with him, no matter who they reported him to. They both had to resort to prayers. I remember my mother made it a prayer point even in church. The man finally left them when he claimed he saw them in his dream chasing him with a cutlass,” she said.
A recent graduate of UNILAG’s Faculty of Art claimed to have escaped sexual harassment only because of her “long legs”.
“Mine is something I do not want to talk about. I must say that I am happy I didn’t have extra year. I had to use my ‘long legs’ to tackle the issue. Because which lecturer will you report it to because you would be amazed that both lecturers and HOD (head of department) are guilty. It was not funny that period. It was when I took the bold step that other victims started voicing out. My case became popular that it got to the vice chancellor’s notice,” she said.
A student of the Yaba College of Technology said she would be afraid to report sexual harassment to the authorities when asked if she would speak up “because I do not know whether the lecturer and the HOD are friends.” She said she would only do it under extreme pressure.
The situation is not really different the other way round. Lecturers hardly report students who pressure them for marks with sex or cash or gifts.
A lecturer at the Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State, who did not wish to be named, said though students pressured lecturers, they only discussed the pressure among themselves.
The academic, who argued that many lecturers also faced harassment because students lured their teachers to influence better grades, said: “Lecturers do not report harassment. They may just say it within our circle but may not report it officially. We only know among ourselves what is happening.
“Even after exams, we, that are females, they will be calling you, ‘Please Ma, help me’ as if it is in my hands to pass them, not theirs. Some students are ready to give to the lecturers freely whether sex or cash. Some of them are so naïve and some of them don’t even have the willpower to pass. They go to harass the lecturers,” she said.
A professor at UNIJOS, who simply gave his name as Oyelami, said lecturers endured a lot from students.
“The society should commend we, lecturers, for containing with sex offers from students. If you are in my shoes, you will understand this better. We are under pressure from our students constantly; it is not a joke. But we are also dealing with them appropriately by mentoring them and teaching them how to read and pass exams on their own using their brain,” he said.
To address the problem, the microbiologist at Niger Delta University said the situation would improve if more students and lecturers reported cases and they were dealt with.
“Students don’t report. That is the problem. They feel if they report, they will be victimised, but we encourage them to.
“Even as an academic, I cannot deal on hearsay. The truth is that, if we have more reports, if students are bold enough to report and come out with evidence by using their phones to record their encounter with randy lecturers, then perhaps the cases will reduce,” she said.
On her part, Bolu Aderigbigbe, a student of YABATECH, said students should stop being too familiar with lecturers.
“Stop visiting lecturers in their offices and outside. These are avenues that breed such harassment,” she said.