Gyang Bere, Jos
LECTURER in the University of Ibadan, Prof. Ademola Aremu has advocated that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) should set up an independent Commission of inquiry to investigate cases of sexual harassment and exploitation of female students in Nigeria Universities.
He said sexual harassment and exploitation of students absenteeism from lectures without justification offloading of lecture periods on Postgraduates/ Junior Colleagues, Irregular attendance at lectures only to come and load students few days/ weeks to examinations and selling of handouts among others are an unethical practice that should attract sanction.
Prof. Aremu disclosed this during a one day Public Lecture organised by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Jos, titled, “The moral force in the University and work ethics: The role of ASUU” held at the University of Jos.
“At home and abroad, we have been in the news recently for reasons that are quite embarrassing. Perhaps the question to start with in this regard is: Are we truly embarrassed by the #SexForGrades scandal? It is a highly embarrassing issue, and this makes it equally highly eligible for consideration in the light of the topic of concern here.
“In Nigeria, we have been witnesses to the violation of hallowed sanctuaries of social existence and communion, I mean places of worship and institutions of learning at all levels, by sexual predators. The usual reaction has been for the men who run these places to ignore the issue or give it no more than a side glance, and then move on in the clear hope that society would soon find something else to distract its attention.
“The indicted are our scapegoats, more or less, until we undertake the exercise of full accounting and reckoning. Do we, as a union, have the courage to call for a high-powered and independent commission of inquiry, not so much to punish perpetrators, as to set things right by means of an open call for memoranda and submissions from past and present female students, past and present female university workers, including cleaners, etc.
“Our work ethics, our roles and functions as a body, should reflect this same principle of self-examination, guided by the duty to protect the vulnerable in our midst and the responsibility of setting an example for the rest of society ranging over our teaching, research, and publications, and our extracurricular and extramural engagements.”
He said there is a need for a sincere progressive paradigm to the problem and putting in place the best practices and mechanisms for monitoring, setting an example for other sectors of society where the same atrocity has been raised to the pedestal of the norm.
Prof. Aremu said ASUU has to be willing to be uncompromisingly self-critical and self-reflexive as that is the safe vantage from which they may speak truth to power and provide leadership for those looking up to them.