We Have More Than 2,000 Sexual Harassment Petitions Against Lecturers – NANS

By Ayodele Oluwafemi

The National Association of Nigerians Students (NANS), on Monday, said it has received no less 2,000 petitions from students on sexual harassment across teritiary institutions in the country.

This was made known by NANS President, Danielson Akpan, during a presentation in Abuja at the public hearing on Sexual Harassment of Students in Tertiary Institutions (Prohibition) Bill, organised by the Senate.

Akpan noted that sexual harassment in teritiary institutions is more deadly that the coronavirus, stressing that if the menace is not properly handled, it can lead to the gross fall of the Nigeria educational system.

He faulted the claim that it is the female students that seduce male lecturers, saying that the lecturers harass students for sexual gratification.

In his words, “As of now, NANS has received over 2,000 petitions from Nigerian students on sexual harassment against university lecturers. We constituted a committee to look into the matter to address the challenges students face from lecturers.

“We don’t think it is necessary to place a penalty on false information as contained in the bill because students do not lie and cannot propagate the falsehood that they are being sexually harassed by lecturers.”

The bill for Act for prevention, prohibition and redressal of sexual harassment of students in tertiary institutions is being sponsored by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege (APC, Delta Central) and 105 other senators.

A part of the bill states thus: “An educator will be “guilty of committing an offence of sexual harassment against a student if he/she has sexual intercourse with a student who is less than 18 years of age; has sexual intercourse with a student or demands sex from a student or a prospective student as a condition to study in an institution, or as a condition to the giving of a passing grade or the granting of honour and scholarships.

 “Any person who commits any of the acts specified in Section 4 of this Act is guilty of an offence and shall, on conviction, be sentenced to imprisonment of up to five years, but not less than two years without any option of a fine.”

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