Wetin undergraduates fit do as victims of sexual harrassment by dia lecturer

Despite di high rate of sexual misconduct, assault and exploitation for universities many Nigeria universities still dey ignore di menace of “rape culture” among lecturers and students.

Dis na sometin wey dey mostly happun for university campuses due to say di students no dey gree complain or maybe dem no get evidences ab idem no even trust disciplinary processes.

Recently Law students for di Unoversity of Calabar wey dey for Cross River state, South south Nigeria protest against dia dean.

Tori of dia protest go viral sake of di kain tins dem write for di placards wey dem carry. Dem accuse di lecturer of sexual harrassment.

For Nigeria, how universities dey deal wit sexual misconduct and exploitation dey unregulated becos ogbonge law wey dey protect students neva dey.

Though some universities get disciplinary procedures and guidelines wey dey investigate and tackle sexual misconduct cases or complaints for dia universities, e no dey effective.

BBC Pidgin go explore di procedures wey students fit use protect demselves against sexual exploitation for dia institutions and how dem go fit report give dia school management.

Professor Mary Fasoanti, di former dean of di faculty of Social Sciences for Adekunle Ajasin University, Ondo State tell BBC Pidgin say undergraduates fit report to di head of department, level advisers, dean of di faculty, dean of student affairs and vice-chancellor for dia institution.

She tok say university management dey agaisnt sexual misconduct and dem fit “dismiss di pesin if convicted” afta student report, di institution go step up panel wey go investigate di matta and di staff disciplinary committee go submit dia report to di management, wey go come decide.

Di professor tok say she don handle similar case as di dean of social sciences faculty, wey she bin warn di lecturer and im desist from chasing di “young lady” wit any sexual interest.

Professor Fasoanti tok say dem protect dia students wey be victims by not revealing dia names and suspending any lecturer dem find guilty.

“We dey publish di names of any lecturer found guilty for our website so pipo go know say im no be employer of di institution,” she tok.

Latest from di University of Calabar

While Nigerians still dey wait for di implementation of di Sexual Harassment of Students in Tertiary Educational Institutions Prohibition Bill (2019).

On Monday undergraduates for di faculty of law, University of Calabar, Cross River state, gada in dia dozens to protest di alleged sexual exploitation perpetrated by di department dean.

Di protesting students – mostly female carry placards wey dem write different tins on top, “Enough of law school list manipulation”, faculty of law no be “brothel”.

But di dean of di faculty of law, University of Calabar, Professor Cyril Ndifon deny di allegations against am.

E say na pipo wey no like as im dey hold di position as dean dey drag im image for mud.

“These allegations dey baselessly masterminded by my detractor wey don vow say dem go drag my image to di mud just because I win di faculty elections two times,” di prof tok.

E add say “Pesin fit harass girls without di ladies coming out to raise di alarm dat they sexually harass dem?

“Dis na why I tok say di allegations na lie, cooked from di pit of hell, just to destroy di reputation wey I don build for decades.”

Sexual exploitation higher institutions

For 2019, BBC Africa documentary expose Boniface Igbeneghu, wen one reporter disguise as a 17-year-old admission seeker into di University of Lagos.

Oga Igbeneghu wey later react to di investigation for im Facebook page tok say “BBC or wetin dem call themselves set am up. My God dey bigger than dem”, afta di report di institution suspend am for two years but e no dey clear whether im still dey collect allowance bifor dem finally sack am for 2021.

One year afta di BBC Africa investigation, di Nigeria senate committee on judiciary, human rights and legal matter pass a bill on Sexual Harassment of Students in Tertiary Educational Institutions Prohibition Bill (2019) on 7 July 2020.

According to Inibehe Effiong, one human right lawyer for Nigeria, wey bin follow BBC Pidgin tok say undergraduates dey suffer victimisation afta dem report give dia institution.

Di lawyer add say di Nigeria University Commission (NUC), suppose get a strong checkmate mechanism wey go dey look into di mata of sexual exploitation.

One lecturer for University of Port-Harcourt, Professor Matthew Wegwu tok say dem dey treat undergraduates like “queens and kings” for dia institution and dem dey concern about issues wey pertain to dia students.

Di professor explain say di institution dey face situation wey bin say undergraduates dey sexually harass lecturers for course mark but dem get disciplinary committee wey dey handle di mata.

“Recently for our institution di vice-chancellor ask one female student make she go dress properly for her hostel, we no dey tolerate indecent dressing on campus and some students dey even send text messages but we dey cultured,” professor Wegwu tok.