ASUU kicked as FG through the Senate pass a bill to stop lecturers from sleeping with female students. The law became necessary due to incessant reports of universities and other tertiary institution lecturers harassing female students for sex.
In many cases, women are made to exchange sex for grades in many universities across the country. Recall the case of a Master’s degree student who recorded her conversation with one of her professors.
The senior academician in Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Professor Richard Akindele made a request to have sex with the lady five times in order to upgrade her low grade, according to the audio recording of the conversation between the student and the teacher.
After the embarrassment, OAU invited both the girl and professor Richard Akindele to appear at the university disciplinary committee in a bid to ascertain what transpired between both parties. The lecturer was eventually sacked and the student was also asked to leave the institution.
After many such cases, the legislative arm of government began making a move to restore dignity at an institution of learning across the country.
The bill was passed after third reading during plenary on Tuesday, July 7, 2020, shortly after the chairperson of the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, presented a report to the chamber.
The bill was sponsored by Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, and co-sponsored by 106 senators after a string of high-profile cases of sexual harassment of students by their lecturers.
The bill prevents lecturers from having or demanding sexual intercourse from students or prospective students; making sexual advances; or directing another person to commit any act of sexual harassment.
The bill also prohibits lecturers from whistling, winking, stalking, making sexual jokes, or making sexually complimentary or uncomplimentary remarks about a student’s physique.
They are also prevented from grabbing, hugging, kissing, rubbing, stroking, touching, or pinching the breasts, hair, lips, hips, buttocks, or any other sensual part of a student’s body.
The bill also stipulates that a student cannot grant consent to a sexual relationship with a lecturer.
